Dragonball AP Season 1
by DragonballAP
Summary: New Saiyans appear on Earth more than ready to combat against the Prince and his son! What horrors await the z-fighters? Will they be able to figure out the dark demands of their new antagonists in time? Or will all be lost?
1. Chapter 1: A Stranger Emerges

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball, DragonballZ, or DragonballGT.

Motivation: I will post the rest of my story if I get reviews and if I am encouraged to do so.

~For Rose~ I wrote this for you, my best friend, who I taught never to judge a book by its cover, and you taught me that regardless of what the cover is, the book's contents can only fortify an already incredible friendship.

Season 1:

Chapter 1: A Stranger Emerges

As if appearing on the very surface of Neptune, a single white mass stood out against the light blue. The sun hung high in the sky, shedding light on the whole stadium. People from near and far comprised the audience of all ages and nationalities. Despite everyone's differences, they were all hoping for one thing, a good fight, unless they were Mr. Hercule Satan. He was more concerned about the revenue. All morning long, fights had been taking place, some more action packed than others. Currently, the crowd was near silent with some occasional booing at what was transpiring on the floor below. Upon the tiled arena were Trunks and Goten whose teenage actions made them quite the embarrassing sight for their parents. They had become better at verbally fighting than they were at physically fighting.

"Are they just going to stand around and talk smack to each other all day or are they going to fight?" Oolong looked up at Bulma, his pig ears flopped. He was staring mainly at her breast. She had her hand on her forehead. Normally she would've smacked or punched Oolong right in the snout, but he had a point. Her cheeks were nearly the color of her red dress. Her very young daughter, Bulla sat beside her, enjoying the fact that her brother was making a fool of himself.

"Trunks is funny momma!" The little girl pointed towards her lavender haired brother who wore black pants and a white tank top.

Suddenly, Chichi stood up with her fist in the air. It made Yamcha jump. "Don't make me come down there!" Her voice penetrated the ears of the two smack talking boys. Over their shoulders they could see her eyes like daggers; her purple kimono-like wardrobe, her black hair in a bun, and those dark furious eyes left them feeling uneasy.

Goten, who was in need of a haircut, looked to his equally unkempt friend, Trunks. Their mothers had tried to talk them into haircuts before their big tournament day, but it was the style now to have long hair so that way birds could have a place to keep their homes. "I think our moms are getting mad at us, we should probably fight now."

"But we have to build up suspense before we woo the crowd!" Trunks argued. "Do you want to be remembered or not?"

Goten frowned as he recalled all of Trunks past plans to be remembered. Even as a teenage boy, Trunks still had his childhood dreams to cling to. He was always the one making the plans and calling the shots. He was just like his controlling, hotheaded father.

"Trunks, I'm sick of you. Ever since we were kids, you've always been the boss. It's not fair!"

"It's because I have the blood of a royal prince in me." Trunks stuck his tongue out at Goten. Despite the changes in the voices and their heights, they were still children at heart.

"That's it!" Goten charged at Trunks. He wasn't playing around anymore. He had heard Trunks say that line so many times he couldn't stand to hear it once more. He was like listening to Vegeta, and Trunks repeated himself all the same like a malfunctioning robot. When was he ever going to realize that Goku was the best? In an instant the two transformed into Super Saiyans and were throwing punches left and right.

"Get him honey!" Bulma shouted, even though the boys had broken the rules again by transforming. She had come out of her state of embarrassment and took to being quite proud of how her young teenage boy became so good at defense as well as offense.

"Goten! You are asking for it." Trunks warned him as Goten continued to push him towards the edge of the arena. The crowd was loud with impressed cheers. Trunks especially liked this, although his cheeks were red with his mother shaking her fist in the hair like a crazy woman. He could see her from the corner of his eye, a blur, yelling, cheering for him, and letting everyone know that that was her boy. He continued to blush while he fought.

"Asking for what?" Goten questioned. He was truly confused and this was why Trunks had always been the brains of the outfit. He had attained his smarts from his mother and his bronze from his father who might as well have been considered a 'freaking genius'. Vegeta had taught him all the fighting skills he had known and that included how to keep the upper hand in a battle.

Just then, in a heartbeat, a kick to Trunks side sent him flying sideways until he hit the arena wall right beneath a bewildered crowd's silent awe. The half Saiyan then fell to the ground shortly after, his nose leaking blood, his hair no longer golden.

Bulma scrambled down through the crowd. "Trunks!" She shouted. As she hopped over the railing in her red dress, she fell on her backside onto the grass. The momentary pain did not stop her though, or the fact that she might have just flashed some people in the audience. She quickly got back on her feet, and on her way to Trunks, she was nearly run over by Vegeta. His frame had come inches from knocking her down. The wind in his wake brushed over her face. Hopefully, he was going to teach Goten a lesson about sportsmanship.

Goten looked around himself with a bead of sweat on his forehead. He could see where Trunks had landed. He was out cold, limp in the arms of his mother who held him to her chest in tears. Goten's light blue t-shirt clung to his chest as he glanced around the arena. Both Vegeta and Goku stood at the far corner, gazing up at the sky. He followed their example and he began to quiver in fear at the sight above him. The silhouette of a young woman hovered in the air.

"I haven't seen another Saiyan in quite a _long_ time." She emphasized the word long.

"Hey, y… y… you can't enter a match that's already going on. That's cheating." Goten stammered. "Who are you anyway? Why did you do that to Trunks?"

She floated down to the arena floor and landed gently on her white boots. Her _curly_ brown tail moved back and forth impatiently, raveling and unraveling in different directions. "Planet Vegeta looks a whole lot different now days and there sure are a lot of weaklings. We were supposed to enhance our race, not belittle it. I don't understand." She crossed her arms. "I must admit though, I find it remarkable that you two are Super Saiyans at such a young age." The woman smiled. She wore a rather odd, white, gold, and blue uniform. Her boots, and gloves were quite similar to Vegeta's, but her top armor was different. It was custom fit for a woman and the flank guards were all white in addition to her shoulder pads. Gold planks were around her sides instead of down the front and her blue pants also had gold shin guards.

The announcer in the background was babbling on about rules and regulations, and encouraging them to exit the arena, but neither of them seemed to listen.

"My name is Belia. I am a pinnacle of the Saiyan race." She said as she drew her black brows together. "I want to fight you. You see, I love battle and I've been deprived of it for a long time. Hopefully you will put up a much better fight than that little disappointment over there." Her words were harsh as they left her rouged lips.

Vegeta was instantly pissed at her comment. No one insulted his kin. He powered up and jumped onto the arena. He was in his usual martial arts tournament attire, which consisted of white gloves and boots, with a dark blue shirt and pants. He was too confident that she was a fraud to go Super Saiyan.

"Bulma," Goku assessed the severity of the situation. He was in his normal orange apparel. If Belia was a pure bred Saiyan then they had a potentially dangerous situation on their hands. "Tell the announcer to evacuate everyone in the stadium now. We don't want any casualties like we had when Majin Buu took control of Vegeta."

Trunks was now conscious again with the help of a sensu bean. He had heard every word of Goku's demand and having experienced the Saiyan's power, knew that he was right. "Let's go mom!" He picked up Bulma by her arms and flew her quickly to the announcer who they knew all too well from over the years.

"But people aren't just going to leave," The announcer argued. "They are going to want their money back."

Bulma smacked him across the face. "You tell them that Cell is back or else!"

The blonde announcer complied with her wishes as he loosened his tie that began to feel like it was choking him. Only brave souls stayed behind in the arena, but those who enjoyed their lives wisely fled in a panic.

"Goten," Vegeta snapped. "Leave this imposter to me." He said, stepping over the cement tiles. His apathetic visage hid the near uncontrollable rage boiling beneath his skin.

Goten could hear both the anger and confidence in Vegeta's rattling voice. The boy shook his head in accordance and went to stand next to his father, Goku, on the edge of the arena. Yamcha, Gohan, Chichi, Oolong, Krillin, and Eighteen had joined him as well.

Belia scrutinized him. Her harsh eyes glared at the short man before her. "You look familiar." She said, placing a hand on her head. Her memory was a rather rotten device.

"Don't play mind games with me." Vegeta asserted his authority on the situation. "I want straight answers." He held his right fist in front of him. If there was one thing he could do effectively, it was intimidate others. "How do you know about the Saiyans?"

"I _am_ one." She shrugged had rendered his question as an annoyance.

"That's impossible. Planet Vegeta was destroyed a long time ago. There are no other Saiyans left except for me, and Kakorot, and our offspring."

Belia tilted her head and kept her hand above her dark brows with her index finger pressed against her temple. Her short black hair gleamed under the sunlight and exposed the faintly red tips of her hair that matched her rose red lips. She mouthed quietly to herself as if she were thinking out loud. "You're right… I was destroyed along with planet Vegeta. I remember it now. I watched Frieza as he did it."

"You aren't fooling me! I don't know how you know about Frieza, but I'm not going to stand around all day and listen to your false stories!" Vegeta yelled.

"If you ask me," She sassed, "I think _you_ are an imposter. If you were a true Saiyan, you wouldn't tuck your tail in your pants. It's offensive to our race and we would consider you a disgrace for hiding your Saiyan inheritance."

Vegeta growled angrily at her insult and he wasn't about to admit that he had lost his tail permanently. It reminded him of the time he had also insulted Kakorot for that same reason. It hurt his pride and to make up for it, he powered up into a Super Saiyan. For a moment she looked taken back, but her own arrogance led her to laugh at him. She wasn't going to pass up a perfectly good fight that she had been waiting for.

In the palm of her hands grew a single bright ball of light. She knew how strong the legendary Super Saiyans were and just how important it was to take on a stronger form to fair against him. She threw the ball of light into the sky. "Expand!" She stretched her fingers and the light grew to reveal a false moon. It augmented in size until it was nearly as bright as the sun. Its orange light danced across the arena and generated blutz waves that were completely off the charts. Apparently she had perfected the technique of generating false moons.

Vegeta's eyes grew big as she began to transform. So many memories were rushing back to him. He was picturing him and Kakorot's fight that took place so many years ago in which not only had he transformed, but Gohan as well.

"Hell no!" He snapped out of his flashback. "GALICK GUN!" He pulled his arms back and got down on one knee. Small pebbles, rocks, tiles, and other objects began to defy gravity. With the investment of great amounts of his energy infused in the blast, he did all that he could to prevent her from completing her transformation. Using his abs and his arm muscles, he thrust the formation of Ki forward. The ball of light, that she had formed, exploded into tiny particles that rained from the sky once the powers met. She then shrunk back down to size.

"How dare you!" She yelled. They were both drained for the moment. She had put a lot of energy into the creation of her false moon in hopes that it would pay off. Unfortunately for her, Vegeta had superior battle experience and knew all too well the benefits of the Oozaru transformation, in addition to the draw backs.

"For being a pinnacle of our race, you sure tired out fast." Vegeta insulted her once more as he recovered, still on one knee.

"Yeah, well who the Hell are you?" She said gasping for air. Silence hung in the stadium. Goku, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Krillin, Eighteen, Chichi, Oolong, and Bulma were watching from the sidelines completely absorbed in the confrontation, none of them had moved or offered to help since Vegeta's pride wouldn't allow them to step foot on the arena.

Vegeta had finally regained his breath and he stood erect once more with his fists at his sides. He then held his palm up and generated another blast of Ki.

"Vegeta! No!" Goku suddenly shouted as he stepped foot on the arena, urging him to stop what he was about to do. "I spared your life when you first came here. Please don't do this!"

Vegeta faltered, but his gut instinct told him it was the right thing to do. For whatever reason, he had a terrible feeling about this female who claimed to be a Saiyan. His eyes darted from Goku back to the issue at hand. His bright blonde hair and the light of the energy his body was emitting moved around him abnormally. He was preparing to continue his assault.

Just as soon as he fired, Belia disappeared from sight. "Damn!" He exclaimed. Time and time again he shot at her, going against Kakorot's wishes, but the blasts of Ki repeatedly missed her by inches and struck the stands behind her. Tile by tile he also blasted away chunks of the arena. Although she was tired and winded, she was fast. Under more careful observation, Vegeta realized not only was she fast, but she was flexible. With water-like moves her body contoured to his blasts and evaded with perfect elegance and techniques that he had never seen before.

He continued his frontal onslaught, until Goku stopped his unbridled actions. He grabbed his wrist and struggled to force Vegeta's arm down. "You don't know what you are doing…" Goku grunted.

"Kakorot you idiot!" Unfortunately, Goku's attempt to contain Vegeta was in vain. Vegeta's last attack had pierced her directly in her chest, straight through her left lung beneath her heart. He had been a little off due to Kakorot's interference, but on any other day he was a marksman. Belia lay still upon the debris of cement tiles. She was face down and her tail lay flaccid beside her.

Goku scrambled for her and placed his fingers on her warm neck to feel for a pulse. She was still alive. "We need to help her." He said. "Bulma, throw me a sensu bean!"

Vegeta looked to his mate. He could tell that Bulma wasn't thrilled about it either, considering the female Saiyan had attacked their son. "Kakorot, you remember the Hell you went through with me?"

"Yes, but look at you now." Goku raised his head and turned it so that he could view Vegeta.

"You can't count on everyone to be the same." Vegeta argued.

Again, he listened to Goku's speech. It was like hearing it for the first time all over again. "I will take full responsibility for her while she's here, but there must be a reason why for all of this. Don't you want to know?" Goku paused. "I've never known you to be so drawn away from a conflict. Don't you want to know who this woman is? Why are you acting like this now Vegeta?"

Vegeta snarled and spat on the ground. In order to rid the Earth of the female Saiyan he would have to go through Goku. His arms were crossed and his countenance was unreadable. "This is different Kakorot. You wouldn't understand." The more Vegeta thought about it, the more frustrated he became, because he didn't fully understand it either. Who was this woman? How did she get to Earth? He let his arms fall to his sides and he made his way to the edge of the arena on the opposite side from the others. He wanted to distance himself from the new situation that brought within him, a feeling of discontent, thus he took to the sky and flew away. He would deal with it on his own time, in his own way.


	2. Chapter 2: Bulma's Discontent

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball, DragonballZ, or DragonballGT.

Chapter 2: Bulma's Discontent

_In the vacuum of space there was no one to hear their pleas, their screams, or even register the blast that had no sound. Space swallowed up everything and the red orb moved closer and closer to planet Vegeta. In her chest her heart fluttered its last beats, until everything faded to blackness, followed by a white light… _

_When next she awoke, a strange round object floated above her head. It was very annoying, but she was able to ignore it after a moment. It was like wearing a pair of glasses. The frames were so apparent at first, but after a while they become habituated to. When she looked to her left a large fountain of blood appealed to her vision. It was startling at first, but at the same time, it was beautiful. The red cascaded down and down, sending ripples through the liquid. Her curiosity drew her nearer and she looked at her refection. The liquid may have been red, but she could clearly see that she was pale. Her lips were blue and her cheeks had lost all their color. Her all black hair had even lost its luster. She continued to get closer and closer to the surface of the liquid, looking deep into her dark black eyes. She was searching them for any signs of life, but there wasn't a single gleam, no spark, no fire. Her nose was inches from its surface and the tips of her short black hair skimmed the surface of the blood, dying her tips red. _

_Quickly she pulled away from the surface at the sound of a voice._

"_Damn… That Frieza." She turned to see Matto. He was a tall Saiyan with black hair, all like the rest. It was pulled back into a pony tail. She had once been so used to seeing him tan, but now he was sheet white. His red and black armor made him appear even paler. She stepped closer to him and he gave her an embrace, but there was no warmth to it. "I promise you, we will get out of here someday…" His voice trailed off._

Quickly, Belia sat up. She was cold and it brought her great discomfort. It reminded her of the time she had spent dead. Her heart beat was comforting and so was the feel of cooling sweat under her armor across her chest and back. Her breaths were heavy. She was inside of a strange house sitting on a couch with a single blanket covering her. In front of her was a coffee table and a small television set close to the wall. This location was so strange. No matter where she was though, she refused to stay in one place. She shot up off the couch and exited quietly through the front door where she made her escape. Outside, she realized she was on a tiny island surrounded by the vastness of an ocean.

Chichi stood beside Bulma. The two of them were folding laundry at a table in the living room at Capsule Corporation for their careless teenage boys. They were sitting on their knees while they worked.

"She's nothing but trouble," Chichi was ranting. "Did they actually think we were going to let that dangerous harlot stay here for the night?"

Bulma had been unusually quiet lately. In her mind she was replaying what Vegeta had said earlier at the tournament about this situation not being the same.

"I can smell trouble from a mile away, you know?" Chichi looked at Bulma finally since she hadn't responded. For quite a few minutes it had been like talking to a brick wall. Chichi stopped her rambling. It was having negative effects on Bulma or perhaps it was something else. "What's wrong?" Chichi asked, putting her hand on Bulma's shoulder. They were best friends and had been for a very long time. Since their boys had grown up together, they were amazing comrades. What made them even more inseparable were their mates.

Bulma's lower lip quivered for a brief moment as she held back tears. "I… I… Just forget about it." She said and she made a gesture with her hand like she was shooing away a fly.

Chichi knew how stubborn Bulma was so if she didn't feel like talking about it then that was the end of it. "Want me to go get you a cold drink?" Chichi insisted. Bulma's cheeks were red and hot.

"That would be nice…"

Just as Chichi went to get up, Bunny walked in with a tray of Tea. She wore her old blue dress with her platinum blonde hair in an up do. "Oh dear, you don't look so good." Bunny sat the tray down and placed herself next to her daughter on the soft carpeted floor. "Talk to momma, honey."

Bulma pressed her head against her mother's chest. She felt like she was a young girl again, crying to her mother when she felt like life was bullying her. "Oh mom…" Bulma sobbed. Bunny placed one hand on her daughter's back and the other behind her head as if she were cradling a child. In her eyes, Bulma would always be her little girl.

"There, there sweetums."Bunny brushed Bulma's blue hair away from her hot face. Her arms went loose at her sides while she wept.

Vegeta sat on the top branches of a tree out in the wilderness, far from West City. The tree overhung a large pond that he looked out upon. The sun was gone leaving a little half moon off in the distance. He forgot how it had came back since it had been blown up so many times, but what really perturbed his mind was the annoying reminder that he didn't have his tail anymore for the moon to be considered truly useful. He felt like less of a Saiyan. He thought that he had chased away the demons of his past when Majin Buu had walked the Earth, but again they were plaguing him. He didn't like the thought of there being another Saiyan on this planet who was better than him. Belia reminded him of what it was like to be that _idealistic_ Saiyan. The one he was when he too had also come to Earth for the first time.

Belia, her curled brown tail, her Saiyan uniform, her perfect warrior body. Since their gravity was greater than that of Earth's, even her thicker than human bone structure showed. Perhaps, like him, she was a pinnacle of the Saiyan race, or so he'd like to think of himself as such… Kakorot continuously showed him up. He hated his current train of thought, it sounded like self loathing.

The thought of Trunks then entered his mind. Although the boy was half Saiyan, he could've at least let his son keep his tail. The more he ruminated about the matter, the more he realized it wasn't even about having a tail at all. That was too dangerous to be left unchecked. It was about him being a half breed. How else were they to let their blood live on though? He placed a hand under his chin. Perhaps his son could've been stronger if he would've been a full blooded Saiyan? He didn't regret Trunks, but he felt like his son suffered because of his poor decision. He remembered the passion between him and Bulma in their younger days. He hadn't even thought of what a half breed might experience. They had to cut off his tail three times before it stopped growing back and the pain must have been excruciating. But what hurt to know the most was that, because of Vegeta and Bulma's careless actions, they had a half breed son who had to suffer, knowing that he was a mistake, knowing that he was a half breed, knowing that he could've been better.

Vegeta knew it was impossible to wish for his son to be a full Saiyan or even wish his mate to be a full Saiyan either, because the dragon not only denied wishes that exceeded his own power, but he also denied wishes that defaced or changed something that was natural. That's why those who died of_ natural_ causes could not be brought back from death, that's why those who wished to be younger could not revert back to childhood, and most of all, that's why those who wished for immortality could not be blessed with everlasting life.

Vegeta tilted his head back. As a present for Bulma, he had shared with her the planed gift of life to bring about his daughter Bulla. Through this act, he felt like he had displayed his ability to put his regrets behind him. He wanted to prove to her that the half bread concept didn't matter to him and he especially wanted to prove to her that he wasn't going anywhere. Bulla fortified their relationship or so he thought. Vegeta picked a leaf from the branch of the tree he was in. Regardless of today's events, he was starting to get the feeling that he needed to be home. His stomach was growling and he was in need of nourishment.

Back at Capsule Corp, all the lights in the house were off. This meant he had to cook his own dinner. He grumbled as he grabbed some left-over spaghetti from the refrigerator. He then heated it up in the microwave and ate it in record time. He hated left-over food, but that's all there was since he missed the Italian inspired dinner. He had to give earthlings credit for having more variety in food. There were many more races on Earth than back on his home planet, which had only two. As he lowered his sullied dishes into the sink, a realization settled on his mind. Was he feeling homesick after all these years?

He preceded the bathroom in which he used. It was to his right just off of the corridor that connected to the living room. Once the door was closed behind him, he stripped. The small mirror above the sink revealed to him the scars across his chest. He recalled the days of Frieza which the scars were from. As he got into the shower he thought about all that he was thankful for as he started the water.

On Frieza's ship there hadn't been any soap, any deodorant, any shampoo. There was no privacy since they used shower rooms. There was no variety or comfortable clothing. He remembered all the bloody blisters he had received that stained countless boots. All the while, none of the men were free at all, because Frieza had controlled their fates. They hadn't any room to become anything else. The Saiyans, especially, had worked so hard for him. They had done everything he asked and more. Vegeta couldn't imagine standing amongst his people, simply watching their planet and lives get destroyed. He had been sent on a mission then, away from home, unable to protect them; all because he was serving Frieza like a little bitch.

What would Belia think of this? He closed his eyes and looked down. There was no excuse for his absence. Deep down he knew that Frieza must have had an alternative reason for sending him so very far away, but he went against his better judgment, like a coward. Was it cowardice or simply doing all he could to stay alive? The thought of Frieza made him cringe. Only Belia could share his terror. As part of the Saiyan Empire, they had both been used and tormented by Frieza. Kakorot had never been manipulated by him, not once, and neither had his son. No one, who physically existed in the present, understood that sort of abuse and misuse, but him and Belia.

Suddenly two arms wrapped around his waist. He looked down at the two pale, fragile hands that folded just above his navel. His mate understood something more than his past though; his loneliness that had been the result of his hardships. That was something she had helped him vanquish over the years. And she accepted him with all his faults and sins.

He turned to face her. Her deep blue eyes were filled with tears that he could easily understand. How was he to prove to her that he wasn't going to leave her for anyone else? How could he prove to her that he wasn't going to leave her at all? She was his and they were good together. He was fond of their family and Trunks and Bulla had turned out to be great offspring. Due to his lack of a father figure during his younger years and being raised by a tyrant, he believed he had actually turned out to be a rather agreeable parent. He even surprised himself. The point was, that was all that mattered, his family. He had established this in the days of Majin Buu and this was no different.

Bulma rested her head against his wet chest. Her turquoise hair was dripping wet and it made her tears harder to see. Her light pink night gown clung to her skin just as she clung to him, yet he could feel her head lightly sway back and forth.


	3. Chapter 3: Confronting Belia

Discalimer: I do not own Dragonball, DragonballZ, or DragonballGT.

Chapter 3: Confronting Belia

Belia stood in restaurant. She held her thumb up and her index finger extended like a gun was in her hand. "Bring me some food, or else." She shot a small warning blast. Her Saiyan appetite was in dire need of being relieved and the smell of this restaurant had enticed her the most.

"Alright! Alright," Said a waiter. He wore a black tux and a white apron. He had a funny little mustache and his brown hair was combed over to the side. Belia sat down at a table and waited impatiently. All the eyes that were staring back at her were quite annoying. "What are you looking at?" Her enticing yet starling feminine voice questioned. Their heads immediately turned away. Her curly tail unraveled and then raveled in a different direction. When it wasn't being used, she didn't wrap it around her waist. Instead, she coiled it in a tight circle behind her back. It was rare that a Saiyan's tail was naturally curly, but hers was. Thinking about her tail, she had a random flashback of when Matto was making fun of her.

"_What is that?" The Saiyan said as he saw the brown coil of a tail behind her back. _

"_What do you think it is?" She snapped. They were walking in circles around the blood fountain. He threw his head back and started to laugh. "Shut up!" She bossed. "It's not my fault I was born with a curly tail. I would wrap it around my waist like you, but it's not comfortable for me."_

"_I was just kidding, calm down." He playfully pushed her shoulder. Their eyes were both on the ground, watching their feet in front of them so that they didn't step on any spikes or trip over any miscellaneous objects that were laying around in Hell. _

_Suddenly, the ground got darker ahead. As if it were alive, the dark shadow contorted its shape and took up a form right before their eyes to reveal a black, misshapen demon. Her horns were red, curved like a ram's but asymmetrical, and her teeth were yellow. Her bright green eye on the right side of her face was captivated by the object in her uneven arms. She held a broken baby doll. Its eyes were made of two different buttons and a hole rendered the inside of its plastic skull open with shadows. _

"_What do you want?" Matto shoved Belia behind him as to protect her._

"_I want to make a deal with you…" She looked up from the doll. Her voice was the strangest thing he had ever heard. It was deep and metallic sounding._

The smell of food brought her back to her the present. There were several plates of food. There was one plate that had square shaped pieces of food with red sauce all over it. Another had bow shaped objects covered in a white sauce. The greenery in a bowl led her to believe that it was a salad. Hopefully the food on this planet was just as good as it was on planet Vegeta. She dug into the red sauced plate first. The square pieces were filled with dark meat that was surprisingly good. She finished it off just as quickly as she had picked it up. Then she guzzled down the other plate. It had little pieces of white meat throughout it. Nonetheless it was equally pleasing. Lastly, she went to work at the salad. It was nothing like planet Vegeta's, but her stomach was too distraught to tell her to stop eating.

The by standers that stood around her were completely shaken by her eating habits. "I want more!" She shouted. Her demands were met as fast as the chefs could manage their stoves.

With the covers and her night gown still damp, Bulma looked around her messy room. Something had awoken her. Loud thuds and shuffling noises led her to believe someone was going through her closet. She sat up in bed and threw the covers off of herself. Over the white carpeted floors, she made her way over to her closet to find Trunks.

"What do you think you're doing?" Bulma yelled at him. His shoulder length lavender hair hid his face from sight.

"I'm trying to find dad's old Saiyan uniform." Trunks told her.

"There are newer ones in my dad's lab…" Bulma was suggesting, but Trunks interrupted her.

"No mom, the old uniform. The very first one he wore when he landed from Namek. Remember? You were the one who washed it and demanded that he take a shower. Yamcha told me all about it."

Bulma brought her hand to her chin. She wanted to know why her son wanted that smelly old thing, but she knew it didn't concern her. With age she had become more passive. "It's in a box up in our attic." She made room in the doorway so that way she could let Trunks pass her by. With every step his hair swayed back and forth and it drove her crazy. The sun began to shine in her room and it was very warm on her face. Looking back in her closet, she needed to find something nice to wear. Luckily the five year old Bulla had just walked in. She loved helping her momma pick clothes out to wear for the day. She smiled sweetly at the young girl who loved her unconditionally and who she loved unconditionally.

Dust flew into the air in a small cloud. Trunks sneezed and then continued to search through the box's contents, which was mainly comprised of blankets. "Here," He threw the old style armor on the floor at Vegeta's feet. His shiny black shoes were partially hidden by his khaki pants and his red long sleeved shirt was tucked in. The armor had a musty smell to it and Vegeta inspected it carefully beneath the light. It was authentic, not made on Earth. Inscribed on the inside was Saiyan language with the year the armor was made. "Did you want the rest, or just the under armor?" Trunks asked him.

"Are my old boots in there?"

Trunks dug around for them and then pulled out one. "Will this do?"

"Yeah son," Vegeta told him and took the old boot in his hand. On the inside were reddish brown stains from when he had gotten blisters on his feet. All the while, the same Saiyan language was written on the inside as it was on the inside of his armor. So many years had passed that he had forgotten his own native tongue. It made him wonder if he had even known it at all, since Frieza had enforced the use of the common tongue, English.

Having attained the items he wanted, he retreated back down stairs with the single boot and the armor in his hands. Just as he went to head for the Balcony for an easy take off, he saw his mate. Bulma stood with Bulla on her hip. His little girl was sporting pig tails with bows and a little pink dress. Bulma wore a light blue summer dress and diamond earrings. She had even done her makeup. He saw the question in her eyes, but he didn't answer to her. "Mind your own business woman." He snapped coldly and made his way to balcony.

It felt good to fly again. The wind was brushing through his hair and he could see everything below him. For miles West City continued. Only out in the horizon could he see where civilization met with the wilderness. There was a great amount of freedom he felt in flying. He could go anywhere he wanted and he wasn't required to stay on a road abiding the law. And, unlike being in an airplane, he could disobey air traffic control laws too.

He needed to find Belia. He needed to talk to her. Perhaps if he told her about what happened to his home planet, she would retreat back to Hell in peace. She was like a ghost, a haunting reminder of the past. Kakorot was right. He despised leaving her as an unknown factor in his life. There had to be some reason she was around.

Over tree tops and building roofs he searched for her energy. It was an exhilarating energy. One that excited him, stressed him, and saddened him. It brought back all his greatest memories and worse memories. She was his counterpart and his opposite. It reminded him of the rise and fall of Earth's ocean tides.

It was then he realized a key importance. Where was Kakorot? He was supposed to be keeping an eye on Belia, but he didn't feel that low class Saiyan's energy at all. Just then, smoke billowing from building tops filled his view. He was certain it was her. With haste, he transformed into a Super Saiyan and neared the destroyed part of West City. It didn't take long to find her either. Her laugh could be heard over screams and raging fires as she floated menacingly above.

"These creatures are pathetic!" She was enjoying herself far too much with target practice.

Vegeta yelled to her, "I have my proof, where is yours?" He dropped the boot and the Saiyan armor below, both landed a little ways below her with a thud.

She receded back to the Earth's surface and picked them up to read the inscriptions out loud in the language of the Saiyans. It was enlightening. He floated nearer to her just so he could hear her better while she spoke. Though not a single word of it registered in his brain, it was still euphoria to hear it at all.

"Well then, you were in alliance with Frieza, you traitor." She threw the items aside and they landed on top of the crumbling pavement. "Who are you?"

He was ready to tell her now. Ready to confront her as if he were talking to his whole race and confess his mistakes. "Prince Vegeta."

He paused as her eyes widened. She could see the striking resemblance now. King Vegeta, who resided in Hell, looked exactly like him. That's why this short man had looked so familiar. She was beginning to wonder if during her transfer from Hell to this planet she may have lost some of her memory. "You're kidding…" Belia was filled with disbelief. "A true Saiyan Prince would never have abandoned his people."

"Shut up! It's not like I had a choice in the matter!"

Belia gathered a large chunk of her energy into a massive ball at the tips of her fingers. "It should've been you!" She yelled.

"I've already paid my dues!" Vegeta braced himself with a counter attack by crossing his arms in front of him. "I too have been slain by Frieza!"

"Why aren't you in Hell then?" She was nearly screaming in anger. "You… You left us, coward!"

Vegeta fired his attack and her attack left her fingertips all at the same time. It ended in a large explosion that sent both of the flying backwards.

"I refuse to bow to you. You aren't a prince. A real prince would've stood with his people!" She continued, although she was weak. But since he had defeated her yesterday he could tell she had grown a little stronger. He despised the way she was talking, but like him, she had a big mouth that took some time to seal shut. "Who were those other Saiyans?" She asked. "Where were they when all of this took place?"

Vegeta explained to her that Goku was just a baby and that those boys hadn't been born yet.

"What about their mothers?" Belia asked.

"They are from this planet." Vegeta replied.

Belia acquired a large orb of Ki again. She was furious. "You make me sick to my stomach! You tainted Saiyan blood!"

At that moment Vegeta ran into her and knocked her on her back. He had jammed his forearm into her throat and it left her coughing and sputtering beneath his weight.

"How else was the Saiyan blood to be passed down?" Belia couldn't breathe to reply. "I ought to send you back to Hell right now while no one is around." Vegeta threatened her. His eyes did not lie. He hated this woman, despised her with all of his being, but he wasn't like that anymore, to kill out of hate. Bulma had changed him. Kakorot had changed him. His own son and daughter, Trunks and Bulla, had changed him. He got off of her and spat on the ground beside her.

"Let me guess, you can't kill now either?" Belia urged him on. "You're pathetic Vegeta. A true Saiyan warrior wouldn't be so soft."

Vegeta stood with his back to her now. His eyes were closed. He had talked exactly like her so long ago, believing that it was brute strength and action that determined the worth of a Saiyan. But he had been wrong. It was more than that. "You're so ignorant." He shook his head and then flew off. He had left his armor behind along with his boot that had been discarded on the ground…


	4. Chapter 4: Missing ZFighters

Disclaimer- I do not own Dragonball, DragonballZ, or DragonballGT.

Chapter 4: Missing Z Fighters

Vegeta sat on the balcony of the Capsule Corp, looking out towards the horizon. His back was rested against the yellow building, his bottom on the railing, along with one foot; his other kept him from falling. Rather than having his arms crossed, he had his hands in the pockets of his khaki pants. Although human clothing didn't offer much protection, it was quite comfortable. With his vigilance he noticed that across the yard walked two familiar beings.

Although he had lost his woman to the Prince of all Saiyans, he still cared for her. He still wished to see her happy and stress free. Lately, she had been quiet and depressed. In all his years of knowing her, Bulma had been loud and outgoing. It was odd to see her like this. It made him want to confront Vegeta, but at the same time he knew not to meddle in others affairs, especially when he didn't know the whole story. Why was Bulma so upset? Vegeta never told her where he was going, ever. Why was that so different now? Yamcha couldn't understand it. "Look, I don't know what's going on between you two right now. I honestly can't say I've seen anything different. It's almost like you're freaking out over nothing." He paused. When they were together he knew she freaked out over nothing. Poor Vegeta. He was being tormented by Bulma. Oh well, she was his problem now. Yamcha and Bulma were both walking with their heads down. "Well, whatever it is, I sure hope everything turns out okay." Yamcha walked her to the front door and gave her a warm hug before taking his leave.

As she opened the door, she saw Trunks grabbing a soda from the fridge in the kitchen. "Hey mom," Trunks waved to her. She faked a smile and walked over to the couch where she sat down with a heavy sign. On the television in front of her were reports about the mysterious woman. Footage of burning buildings consumed the screen.

"Where is Goku?" Bulma pulled her brows together.

"I'm not sure…" Trunks scratched the top of his head. "Perhaps he is still at master Roshi's with Oolong? Last I heard, Krillin, Goku, and that Saiyan were there since Chichi and you wouldn't let her stay here."

"And I was right wasn't I?" Bulma pointed at the television which broadcasted the devastation the woman had caused.

"You certainly were mom. Anyway, do you want me to go over to Gohan and Videl's to see if he's there while on my way to Master Roshi's?"

Bulma nodded. "Sounds great, check the place out. Goku isn't doing his job." Bulma was furious at the world right now.

Trunks put his thumb up in the hair and then headed out with the new mission fresh on his mind. Bulma knew something wasn't right. Goku was always reliable if lives were at risk. Her eyes were focused on the screen in front of her. "What are you up to?" She squinted. She had been depressed for so long and now a new feeling was settling in her mind. She was pissed. Why was this strange woman here? "Who does she think she is!"

Bulma got up from the couch and walked upstairs to the second floor living room. She then cut across the room to the balcony. "Vegeta," She began. Her voice was filled with more sass than usual. "What did you find out about her?" Unnoticed, little Bulla stepped out onto the balcony with a sippy-cup in her hand.

"She's an ignorant twit who knows nothing." He growled. He was not in the mood to deal with her nagging.

"I don't believe that for a minute. She must know something. Goku, Krillin, Roshi and Oolong are missing."

Vegeta turned his head and looked at her. His brows were drawn together and he glared at her. Since when did she think he actually cared for those idiots? He wanted her off his back. "Well, for whatever reason they are gone, there isn't any connection between her and them." His voice was filled with apathy.

Bulma crossed her arms in frustration. She was choking back tears. "Are you… Are you covering for her?"

It was quiet. It was the quiet before the storm. Vegeta shot up from his laid back posture on the railing. "What are you saying woman?" He was yelling at her. It made her shake a little. The two stubborn forces had clashed. Within moments Yamcha was floating at the edge of the balcony since Vegeta's power level had spiked. Little Bulla started crying in fear.

"I can't even stand to look at you!" She shouted with tears forming in her eyes. She couldn't hold them back anymore.

"Whatever!" He wanted to smack some sense into her for her stupidity of accusing him of such a thing, but he knew it would probably kill her. He flew off in complete anger, knocking over chairs, the table, and a wind chime that broke all over the floor. He had even knocked down Bulla.

Trunks flew rapidly to his master's house. He didn't know why he was in such a hurry, but he felt pressed for time. The smell of the woods and the sounds of the wildlife below proved that his senses were completely focused. Once he touched down, he stepped into the house without knocking. The living room was also a library. Where walls should've been, there were book shelves so high that Gohan needed a latter. "Hey." Trunks looked up at him from the floor. "Have you seen Goku, Krillin, Oolong, and Roshi anywhere?"

Gohan stepped down from his latter and looked for his wife Videl and his daughter Pan. A family portrait of them was on a stand next to one of his large bookshelves. "I haven't seen them, but have you seen Videl, Marron, Eighteen and Pan anywhere? They were just here a second ago."

"Oh boy," Trunks slapped a hand on his forehead. The Z fighters and supporters had grown in numbers over the years, so much so that it was hard to keep track of everybody anymore. But to his relief the girls walked into the room from the kitchen. Eighteen looked terribly distraught. She was holding her little baby girl in her arms, who was currently asleep. Pan was holding onto her mother's hand. She had short black hair and only came to her mother's knee in height.

"I just don't know…" Eighteen said.

Trunks looked curious. "I take it you haven't seen Krillin either then, uh?"

"No, he was supposed to come back home last night, but he never made it."

Gohan came and stood in the circle. He took his glasses off and slipped them in his white button up shirt pocket. "We should all fly out to Kame House then and check there. That's where they were last." Trunks suggested.

"Good idea." Gohan agreed.

"Look, you guys can go, but I'm going to stay here with Pan. Dinner is in the oven and I don't want our house to burn down." Videl told her husband. "I can watch Marron for you again." She suggested to Eighteen. Videl loved to watch her little girl, she provided Pan with company too.

"Thank you." Eighteen handed Videl her sleeping daughter. It was the best thing to do anyway. At Videl's leg little Pan was frowning with jealousy at the little blonde headed girl in her mother's arms. At least here she would be safe if there was danger lurking about at Kame House.

Bulma sat on the couch with her little daughter held close to her chest. Chichi had come over not too long ago with her own fears, but she expressed them in a different way. "Where is Goku? I swear, my hair is going to turn white because he worries me so much. Is that what he wants?" It was silent for a moment. "I swear it's all that hussy's fault! She's up to no good!" Chichi yelled, blaming it on the Saiyan girl.

Bulma sat up for a moment to blow her nose. She felt light headed and exhausted from all her emotional distress. "I don't understand why Vegeta would cover for her. Does he still want revenge on Goku?" She asked calmly. "I thought we were past this." She began to weep again.

"I can go find him and talk some sense into him." Yamcha stood up from the table he had been sitting in across the room.

"Oh please Yamcha," Bulma pointed to his seat. It degraded him to know that she knew he was weaker than Vegeta. He hated that fact, but still he sat down obediently.

The pink shingled house was quiet and it looked as if it were going to rain. The smell of the ocean and roar of its waves filled them all with a sense of alertness. There was an odd vibe in the air and nothing felt right. As soon as they landed they ran for the front door. The house appeared vacant, and it was, for the most part. Four perfect replica statues stood in the room. Goku had his hand up to block his eyes from whatever attack had turned them to stone. Krillin was down on the floor, and Roshi and Oolong had been turned to stone while sitting on the sofa in front of the television.

"Oh no!" Trunks exclaimed and looked to Gohan.

"Who did this? What does this mean?" Gohan asked.

"I don't know, but we need to find my father as soon as possible so that we can give him the heads up." Trunks knew what was best. Even in the presence of those who were older than him, he still made the plans. He pulled up the sleeves on his black sweater and then put his hands in his khaki shorts' pockets. "Alright, Gohan, I need you to fly to the lookout tower and get Piccolo, we are going to need all the help we can get." Trunks paused. "Eighteen, go pick up Marron, Pan, and Videl and bring them to Capsule Corp so that way everyone is together. No one should be left alone." The three then walked outside and split in three directions. Time was ticking away.

Vegeta flew furiously. He was so pissed off at the fact that Bulma had accused him of covering for that idiot Saiyan. She, of all people, should've known him better than that. He felt the need to confront this female Saiyan now and ask her what she knew. Perhaps there was something she hadn't been telling him. This time, he wasn't going to leave until she gave him the answers he was looking for. Up ahead her energy signal was faint. Whatever she was doing, it required little movement. Was she asleep? He lowered himself to the small stream hidden among the green foliage. She had moved away from civilization and it made him wonder why. His feet touched the Earth and he pushed his power level down to zero. He saw his armor next to his boot, their shadows strewn across the grass with cool colors.

Without any noise, Belia's hand wavered towards his old keepsake. She picked up the old armor that smelt of blood, sweat, and battle. She enjoyed the scent as she closed her eyes and pictured the greatest fights of her life. The intensity and vivid detail of her youngest memories even caused her blood to sting with a burning sensation for battle.

Once she set the armor down, he snapped out of his daze. He didn't even realize he had been in one. Regardless, he wanted answers. Vegeta walked out from behind a large tree that had served as his cover and assembled a mass of Ki in his hand. "What did you do with Kakorot?" He fired. The nearest tree exploded. She screamed briefly, having been caught off guard.

"How long have you been watching me?" She fired back with an equally strong attack.

"Don't flatter yourself! Now answer me!" He demanded.

"How dare you accuse me of something I didn't do!" She raised her eyebrow. She flashed her teeth at him and her tail moved back and forth angrily.

Vegeta cocked his head back. He could see it on her face and in her body language that she truly was clueless and had no idea what he was talking about. Perhaps it was that or the fact that he was still mad about Bulma accusing him of covering up for her. He threatened her with his finger pointed like a gun. Regardless, she welcomed the battle with open arms as she prepared herself for combat.


	5. Chapter 5: The Saiyans Battle!

Disclaimer- I do not own Dragonball, DragonballZ, or DragonballGT.

Chapter 5: The Saiyans Battle!

This was it. Vegeta didn't care about the rules anymore. He didn't care about his morals, he didn't care who got hurt, or even if Belia died. He was yelled at while she was alive and he would've been yelled at all the same if she were dead. It didn't matter anymore. Her life was but a mere annoyance to him, causing disturbances to his family and his life.

With a quick flick of her wrist she destroyed Vegeta's old armor, just in case he was thinking about using it in their fight.

"Please!" He laughed.

"Let's go!" She smiled malevolently. She powered up and together they took to the sky. With her protective shin guards her kicks were quite painful and it rendered his own attempts at injuring her fruitless.

Their fighting was beautiful. She was able to avoid his punches with great dexterity and careful execution. All the while, his quickness and strength impressed her just as much; True Saiyans. There was only one other person Vegeta had enjoyed fighting and that was Kakorot. But there was something about Belia's fighting that impressed him even more than Kakorot's, the fact that she was a female and fairing quite well against him. He wasn't even Super Saiyan.

Unexpectedly she did a back flip in the air and her knee smashed right into his throat, sending him into a brief choking fit. She followed it up by spinning around sideways. Vegeta caught her shin with haste as to avoid receiving another broken arm like he did in the android days.

"You are a lot stronger than you were yesterday." He pointed out. She was getting stronger with every battle she lost and it reminded him that it was important to finish her now.

She smiled and it looked like she was getting down on both knees. She held her arms out to her sides and then brought them together above her head. Glowing ripples in the air began to coalesce in the center of her palms. It was almost as if she had stolen part of Vegeta's own energy to use it against him. "ETERNAL BLAZE!" She shouted.

Vegeta braced himself and quickly gathered energy for his counter attack. "GALIK GUN!" They waited for the explosion of their attacks to send them flying backward, but instead they immediately felt the connection of their powers pushing and teetering between them.

"Damn!" She continued to push her body to its limits. She risked adding more power to her attack. Vegeta gradually augmented his own blast.

"Die!" Vegeta yelled at the top of his lungs.

The blast started to overtake hers. "No!" She screamed. "I refuse to lose to a joke like you!"

"Go back to Hell!" Vegeta expelled even more energy from his body. Suddenly the explosion finally took place between them. Apparently the stress was too much on the energy that had wavered between them. Either way, it had exploded nearer to her and it sent her flying backwards.

Birds flew from the trees that were now in raging flames. The smoke and debris masked Belia in a cloud of grey.

"Are you dead yet?" Vegeta asked.

"No." She whispered from behind him, her lips nearly touching his ear. Without warning Vegeta spun around in attempted to kick her. Unfortunately she blocked the kick with her forearm. The blow nearly shattered her arm, but her thick Saiyan bones absorbed the collision. He continued his kicks and she absorbed them one after another. It shook not only her bones, but her soul. Her Saiyan soul was in a state of pure excitement and enthrallment. This was the best fight she had ever been in.

Again, her water-like moves came into play. He attempted to punch her, but her body bent to his strike and avoided it by inches. As he went to punch her again, she exchanged a blow of her own right into the side of his cheek. Then, their fists met head-on and both of them could feel their bones collide. Just as she went to strike him again, he caught her fist in the center of his palm.

"Let go!" She reproached him with her other fist, but he caught that as well. Instantly, with no other options, her head collided with his. It made both of them dizzy and together they fell to the Earth. Vegeta's eyes had glazed over in his black out and her own eyes were completely shut. They were falling. Falling together, just as the Saiyan race should've done.

She landed on her back, whereas Vegeta landed on his side in a rather painful manner. "Son of a bitch…" He mouthed. He struggled to get back on his feet with his hand on his forehead. She was still laying on the ground as he slowly made his way over to her. "Get up,"

He kicked her in her side. She rolled at least three times. Her face was distorted with a cringe and she tried. She really did. "I won't give up." Sweat dripped from her shaking body.

"Good, stand back up so I can knock you back down." He kicked her right across the face. Her lips bleed and her nose was equally leaking. But he couldn't keep her down.

Again she got on her feet. He was completely amazed. "You're going to have to kill me to keep me down." She whipped her tail around herself and used it to wipe the blood away from her fists.

He truly admired her fighting spirit. "Do you appreciate your life or do you miss Hell?"

She fell back to her knees. It was not a symbol of retreat or surrender, but an establishment of exhaustion which was conquering her body. "I don't even know why I am here…" Her dark black eyes were empty, lonely, and confused. It was a feeling he knew all too well.

"The answer eludes me as well, but you're a pain in the ass. If you don't have a reason to be here then I should send you back to Hell where you came from!" He held up his hand to her. Her eyes stared at the center of his palm.

"How does it feel to be a traitor?" She suddenly asked. "Nappa was one of us. You killed your own kind and you're going to do it again Vegeta."

He grumbled and the ball of energy grew big. Its diameter measured from the tip of his middle finger to the end of his palm. "To Hell with you!"

She didn't budge because fear was absent. Having died once and been to Hell already, it wasn't a new concept. And she waited, waited for the blast to come. He was faltering.

"If I don't kill you then you think I'm weak, but if I do, you say I'm a traitor. You women are all the same! You'll all difficult! You can never make up your damn minds!" He finally expelled his anger by releasing his wrath upon her.

All that remained was her charred corpse and the smell of burning flesh. A severely strong flashback rocked his brain and he felt like he was there all over again. He felt as if he had rid the world of Nappa. He closed his mouth that had fallen open unnoticed. Now that she was dead, he could get back to more important issues in his life. He was beginning to grow slightly curious about Kakorot's disappearance and whereabouts. He turned away from Belia and crouched down, preparing to take to the air.

"Where… Do you think you're going…?"

He thought he had been mistaken, but when he turned, his eyes did not deceive him. With most of her armor burned away, he could see some of her bare flesh. Her burned and charred skin was healing and all her wounds were being restored as well as her energy. He had extinguished her moments ago. Her life force had been rendered to zero. He had taken her life! There was no way…

He took a step back. His eyes were wide and his jaw had dropped again in disbelief. "You're… You're an immortal?"

She smiled as she stood up. She then clinched her fists at her sides. "I… I am! I am immortal!" Her voice was coated with her own disbelief and excitement. Quickly she got back to the issue at hand. "Guess what this means?" She raised her right eyebrow. "I will become the greatest Saiyan that ever lived!" Belia flew at him again like a speeding bullet. He braced himself for another round. Vegeta felt like he was trapped in a nightmare. Belia was exactly like him in every way, only she had successfully secured his past dream.

Trunks flew as fast as he could. He could feel his father's power level rapidly declining. It was a feeling Trunks could sense in his heart. It was as if every breath he took the air was becoming harder to breath. He could not let his father die. He transformed into a Super Saiyan and kicked up his pace. He cut through the wind like a jet plane. Whoever or whatever his father was fighting was extremely strong, almost as strong as Vegeta himself. Why then was his father's power level decreasing so much if this other source was weaker? As Trunks neared the source, it was obvious where it was coming from. The smoke from burning trees had been a signal long ago, but he hadn't expected them to stay in that spot the whole time. He descended down into burning foliage. The smoke clogged his nose, eyes, and throat.

"Father!" Trunks cried out. The smoke was thick and he could barely see anything with the smoldering heat that made it feel as if his eyes were going to melt shut.

"Get away from here boy!" Vegeta's voice sounded from within the grey clouds.

"Where are you?" Trunks began to run. He had his nose buried in the crease of his arm. His black sweater felt as if it were plastered to his body with sweat.

Suddenly an explosion cleared a lot of smoke up for a brief moment and there he saw them up above. The blinding blue light of the blast had been like lightning. It cut through the smoke and he could clearly see Vegeta's opponent who was firing away. Her body, her form, all perfectly lined up with her attack, and like that, Vegeta fell from the sky. His arm nearly ripped away from his body at his shoulder.

Trunks was frozen in fear. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't believe what he saw. His father's limp body discarded upon the grassy floor of the Earth, beside debris and dirt. His arm was bleeding profusely. "Father!" Trunks cried out again.

"It's too late!" He could hear Vegeta's opponent from above him, but he couldn't see her with all the black smoke that had recovered in the air.

"Show yourself!" He demanded.

"Perhaps another time," She suggested with a laugh. "But if you want to stay down there and burn alive, be my guest." Her power level began to fade. Either she had powered down or she was flying away. Trunks couldn't tell and he didn't care either. He ran to Vegeta as fast as he could and pulled a sensu bean from his jacket pocket.

"Father, take this." Trunks said. Vegeta could barely lift his throbbing head. His body ached with pains he had never felt before. His shoulder hurt most of all, having been pierced by Belia's last blast of Ki. He downed the little bean, but was still completely exhausted. "Let's get you out of here." Trunks said. He helped his father to his feet and placed his arm over his shoulder. Together they rose above the smoke and flew home.

Back at the capsule corporation everyone had been drawn together except of course for Krillin, Oolong, Master Roshi, and Goku. Vegeta sat in the grass with his knees bent. He kept himself propped up with his arms behind him. Piccolo stood far away with his arms crossed.

"You say she's immortal?" Yamcha asked the prince to repeat himself.

"What are you, deaf?" He yelled at him.

Bulma stood beside Yamcha, glaring back at Vegeta. Bulla was in her arms with a band-aid on her forehead and her arm from Vegeta's unbridled temper earlier.

"Well Vegeta, we have bad news too." Gohan piped up. "Goku, Krillin, Roshi, and Oolong have been turned into to stone. So our problems keep piling up it seems."

Vegeta looked up at the cloudy sky. It looked as if it were going to storm or rain soon, especially since the moisture in the air was cold and he could smell it coming. "Well," He began. "I know how we can get rid of the immortal." He looked up at Gohan with a smile on his face.

"How is that?" Goten asked. He stood beside Trunks.

"We lure her to the hyperbolic time chamber of course." Vegeta said matter-of-factly. He looked at them like they were all stupid since none of them had thought of it first.

"But remember Vegeta," Piccolo fired back at his proposal. "There still exists a chance that she could escape from that dimension just like Majin Buu did."

Vegeta sat up and folded his arms across his chest. "Perhaps, but it's worth a try isn't it? I don't see anyone else coming up with ideas either. If we could get her out of our hair for a while, then we could put more energy and time into rescuing Kakorot and the others."

"Why do we want to put her away? She might know how to bring my dad back." Goten suggested. He was missing his father more and more each day and ever since that Saiyan woman showed up, bad things started happening.

"How many times do I have to tell you idiots? She's not connected to that. Saiyans don't have the power to turn people to stone anyway."

"There he goes again," Bulma rolled her eyes. "Trying to defend that awful woman."

Vegeta stood up in a heartbeat. His fist was held out in front of him. "If it weren't for Trunks I would be dead! I have nothing to do with the immortal!"

Bulma got in Vegeta's face, Bulla was beginning to fuss. "Well, in your rush to go see _your_ immortal you hurt our daughter!"

Vegeta's aura had shifted into rage again. The air moved around him in odd ways, just as the air around a hot object was distorted. "_My_ immortal?" Vegeta looked away from her at his son Trunks. Only Trunks saw what had transpired. Only Trunks saw his ripped right shoulder, bleeding, and nearly torn from its socket.

"Mom…"Trunks pleaded with his irrational mother. He was beginning to feel sorry for his father who had to deal with her. Yamcha even knew the feeling.

"No Trunks!" Bulma silenced him. "Say you are sorry Vegeta!"

"I have nothing to apologize for!" Vegeta yelled at her, it made Bulla cry in her mother's arms.

"Guys, there are kids around…" Eighteen intervened between them.

Vegeta stepped back. He was staring at his mate with an equally cold gaze. "I'm done here." He informed her calmly, but he didn't fly off in anger. Instead, he let it go and took to the air quite placid.

"Father!" Trunks went to chase after him, but Piccolo stopped him.

"He needs time alone. We need to concern ourselves with Goku and the others. I think I know something that might change them back." Piccolo pointed out. Everyone looked to him with hope in their eyes, even Bulma. "At the lookout tower there is a special liquid in a decorated jug. If we pour it over them, perhaps it will change them back."

Gohan looked to his brother Goten. "We need to try it."

"What if it doesn't work though?" Yamcha asked. He was always thinking in the negative.

"Then we will have to try something else. For now, let's focus on getting to the tower as quickly as possible. We will probably need Goku's help luring the immortal into the hyperbolic time chamber." Piccolo said.

"Right," Gohan nodded. "I think you and I should go Piccolo. Everyone else should stay here and stay together to avoid future issues that might arise."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and watched Gohan and Piccolo take to the sky.

Belia flew like she had never flown before. She was free now. Free in so many ways, but especially free in time. Never again did she have to worry about death, sickness, or aging. Her heart soared in her chest at the miracle. It felt great to known that she was the strongest in the universe and even if she wasn't, she had all her life to perfect herself and rise to the title. She flipped and twirled in the air. She felt like a brand new person. Suddenly a familiar power level caught her attention.

"What?" She said aloud, stopping in mid air. Her curly tail that had been free now wrapped tightly behind her back in a coil. She turned around and saw Matto. A bright halo was above his tall silhouette against the fading sunlight, due to dark angry clouds. His long tail was wrapped around his waist and his arms were down at his sides. "Matto!" She flew towards him. There was no warmth between them, just as there had been a lack of in Hell. "Are… are you okay?" She backed away from him.

He was silent, but she couldn't tell if he was thinking or if he was simply free of thought. Finally he answered. "Somehow we got separated when we left Hell." He informed her. "I was sent half way across the damn globe."

She continued to look into his eyes and study his face while he spoke. His eyes were dark and his lips were blue. She couldn't tell if it was because he was dead or if he was stressed and fatigued. He was pale and all his veins were deep blue. "Are you…okay?" She asked.

"Enough! Look, we need to get back to our objective and quick," He told her as he grabbed her wrist. She pulled against him though, refusing to go. "We need to hurry! What are you doing?" He pulled his brows together.

"Not until you tell me where we are going first. What is wrong with you? I… I don't understand." She stammered, nearly in tears. She was scared of him for the first time in her life, even though she couldn't die. It was a fear that arose about him acting so strangely.

He was completely taken back. How could she have forgotten? "Don't play dumb!" He yelled at her and yanked on her wrist again, but she denied him once more and shot at him with a blast of Ki. He released her at once. His bicep had a large hole in it now. It was purple around the edges and her eyes widened with fear. He did not bleed. He cursed her. "What's your damn problem?"

"I… I don't know you anymore." She tilted her head in honesty. His face, his body, his long hair, all of it appeared to be Matto, but he acted too strangely for her to trust and to follow him. He looked offended. "Can't you just tell me where it is we are going and why?"

He stared back at her blankly. "You really don't know, do you?" He couldn't believe this. Some of her memory had been erased in the transfer. "THAT SNEAKY SON OF BITCH!" He shouted in frustration. If he were alive his heart would've been racing, but he wasn't. All he could do was feel anger with no adrenaline, no life. He wished he would've just stayed in Hell now knowing that he had been fooled. Between he and Belia, they were both immortal. However, they were two different types of immortal. She was forever alive and he was forever dead in the land of the living.

"What? Who?" Belia asked to no avail. He would not respond. She flew closer to him. "Matto, what happened? What's going on?"

"Look, if you don't trust me… then I have no problems of forcing you to go, but our time is short!" He punched her in her stomach, making her cringe in pain. With her hands on her stomach she floated back down to Earth and landed among vast open valley. Huddled in pain, she cried. Not because it hurt, but she couldn't understand why he was acting this way or what was going on. If they were immortal how could they be short of time?

She looked up at him. He was charging an attack to weaken her into submission. From the corner of her eye she saw another figure moving at a quick pace. Apparently Vegeta had been attracted to the unfamiliar power level that had sky rocketed with the negative charge in Matto's attack.

"What is going on here?" Vegeta asked himself the rhetorical question as he lowered himself to the ground. Did his eyes deceive him? There were now two Saiyans! One was already dead he noted as the battle began between the two.

Belia shot at Matto as he fired back. He mostly wounded the Earth, but for the blasts of negative energy that didn't miss, they left Belia bleeding wherever they hit, tormenting her body with pain. However, for him, her blasts left bloodless holes that he didn't even cringe at. He didn't shout, or acknowledge the entry wounds. It made her realize that being dead forever had more advantages than being alive.

"You can't take me!" She yelled. Odd waves moved through the air and accumulated in the center of her palms. She gathered them into a ball of energy. "ETERNAL BLAZE!" The ground shook and the blast had gained much more strength than Vegeta remembered it originally containing. Its diameter had grown dramatically in size, so much so that it was nearly blinding to look at, and Matto couldn't escape its course. As it neared him and completely devoured him up in its light, black and red armor burned away along with his skin. The rest of her blast escaped into outer space.

His body fell to the Earth unconscious. She had no idea how long it would take him to heal, but she knew that once he did, he would be stronger. It was time to flee from him while she could.

"Oh no you don't!" Vegeta flew after her. He wasn't going to let her get out of sight.


	6. Chapter 6: Reluctantly United

Disclaimer- I do not own Dragonball, DragonballZ, or DragonballGT.

Chapter 6: Reluctantly United

The clouds finally began to release the moisture they had attained over the course of the day. The cold rain fell in sheets and thunder boomed after flashes of lighting and Ki.

"What do you want from me?" Belia finally stopped. Her eyes were wide and furious. She was sick of Vegeta, sick of him following her, sick of him trying to attack her. How did he even survive from their last battle?

"How many more of you escaped from Hell?" He asked.

"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?" She responded to his question with one of her own.

Vegeta crossed his arms. The rain soaked his clothes and plastered his red shirt and Khaki pants to his body. "No. Not until you are removed from the Earth. You don't belong here."

Belia gritted her teeth with hate, but she calmly let it pass.

"Vegeta, listen. There is something larger than the both of us here at work. I don't know why or how I got here, but I can assure you that is the least of your concern."

"Then tell me what is?" He was yelling at the top of his lungs.

"I… I don't know, but with you slowing me down all the time, how am I supposed to accomplish anything and find out?" The lighting flashed, followed by a crack of thunder. The rain picked up.

"So we are in agreement then." He suggested.

"What?" Belia had missed his point.

"That we cannot coexist. After the downfall of this so called, 'larger power', I will concentrate on ridding this world of you even if it means the death of me. But, you will not leave my sight until then." He assured her. "You've made it obvious to me that you can't be trusted and I have a family to protect."

Belia understood him completely now. She was inspired by his protective attitude and disgusted all at the same time. "So be it. Once this is all over, I better not see you again."

"Oh you won't." Vegeta tilted his head down. It made his eyes appear darker and his words more threatening, but she simply dismissed it. She took off and he followed after her like a shadow. He was sticking to the principle of keeping his enemies close, even if it meant angering Bulma, he did it for her, for her safety, for the safety of his family.

They flew through the wind and rain. Belia found it fun to dodge the lightning, while Vegeta was trying to figure out where it was they were going. Finally she stopped and ripped off the top layer of her armor to reveal her under armor. Gold plates ran across the front and the back. It left her shoulders exposed and her collarbone prominent. "Here is far enough." She told him.

"What?" He saw the armor she had cast away. It had finally reached the ground.

"I need you to fight me and beat me so that I can face Matto. He will be stronger when he comes back."

"Are you crazy?" Vegeta snapped at her as he drew his brows together. "I'm not going to strengthen you just so you can turn on me!"

Belia was looking at him with hard eyes. The entire moment brought him back to planet Namek when he tried to convince Krillin to attack him to make him stronger so that he could stand a chance against Frieza. It was all for nothing. It brought him to reason with her. "Open your eyes you moron! We can't keep running from him."

Belia folded her arms across her chest. "Then what?"

Vegeta debated telling her about the chamber. If he told her, there would be no chance of getting rid of her with the same method. It would be spoiled, unless he was vague about it so that he could trick both of them into entering it so he could destroy it. "I know a place," Vegeta began, "where we can get rid of him for good. We just have to lead him there."

Belia read his countenance closely. She was desperate anyway. "Fine, we will go." She took the bait. "But if you are wrong, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Vegeta nodded in agreement. He wouldn't give her the opportunity to take his life.

Suddenly the familiar presence of Matto's energy burst into the atmosphere. Apparently he was conscious again. Vegeta looked at Belia who was frozen with adrenaline.

"Damn." He said, as he charged an attack. That was less time than he had expected. Belia's eyes moved back to Vegeta as she stared at him with a smile spread across her bronzed Saiyan face.

"I see you changed your mind." Her brow raised. The Ki left Vegeta's hand with great speed and struck Belia right in her chest. He enjoyed the sight of her being injured, but he knew the draw backs were a huge gamble. Blood dripped out of her nose and mouth and she fell from angry sky of grey and black into the lush, dark green forest below, out of sight. Her energy and life force had been extinguished.

Vegeta braced himself for the coming of Matto. It was at that moment he realized that he was alone against an immortal again. He had no idea how long it would take Belia to recover either since the healing rates were inconsistent. He would have to fight for his life against Matto.

The Saiyan showed in no time, keeping Vegeta's patience pleased. The Saiyan had black and red armor like Vegeta's old style armor. Matto was pale and had a halo. His black spiky hair was pulled back and there was a scar on his shoulder.

"Looking for someone?" Vegeta began to put up a front.

"I'm not here to play games." Matto's voice was filled with malevolence. "Where is she hiding?"

"Oh she's not hiding." Vegeta smiled.

"Well, that makes my job a lot easier then!" He laughed a hearty laugh. His teeth flashed as he did so. He then began to descend, but Vegeta knew he could not allow this. He shot a blast of energy at Matto in a heartbeat.

"In order to get to her, you must defeat me!" Vegeta demanded.

Matto put a hand to his chest which had a hole in it, but it didn't bleed. He couldn't die if he was immortally dead, but recovery had to take place if his body was completely demolished or rendered immobile. "I don't have time for this!" Matto shot at Vegeta. His blast managed to clip the prince's right shoulder. Vegeta then transformed into a Super Saiyan. He had to buy as much time as he could for Belia to recover.

"Tell me, have you ever witnessed the power of a Super Saiyan?" Vegeta's golden hair waved with energy, not even the rain could hit him. The two then went into a vicious one on one battle. Matto was much stronger than Belia and Vegeta knew this was from Belia's defeat over him earlier. Matto's battle style was also a lot different than hers. Instead of being flexible and evasive, Matto kept close to Vegeta. It made it difficult for him to gain leverage and momentum to his attacks. Another thing Matto kept at was face shots. His punches were fierce and hard.

Vegeta took another elbow to his side and a fist to his jaw. The pain was excruciating. Matto then drove his knee into Vegeta's stomach and then smashed his head against Vegeta's.

"You don't impress me." Matto laughed. "I really enjoyed the little resistance you put up, but again, I have more important things to attend to than smacking around wanna be legends."

Vegeta wanted to make him swallow his words, but his Super Saiyan exterior faded and his hair turned black again. Above his eye brow was a gash from Matto's upper cuts. His nose and lips were bleeding and he felt as if he were going to vomit from being punched in the stomach so much.

Matto charged his attack in his left hand and then hurtled it Vegeta's way. The prince's body let gravity take its part in his beating and he disappeared into the vast greenness. Matto knew his chance had finally come to grab Belia. He floated down to the surface of the Earth and looked around. He found that Earth's wild life was rather strange and weak. Little animals with bushy tails annoyed him and especially the flying ones that made too much noise.

Once his eyes fell upon Belia, all the noise fell away. He stepped towards her and examined her healing body. It would be done any moment and it rendered it impossible for him to abduct her and take her with him. He would have to continuously cause her damage to keep her under. Again, he assembled energy at his fingertips and placed his hand just above her chest.

Suddenly, a blast stuck his arm and the energy he had assembled was lost. He examined his burning dead flesh and then looked for where it had come from. "No…" Vegeta breathed. His shoulders rose and fell and blood dripped into his eye making his vision red.

"You sure are stubborn." Matto yelled in frustration. "This time, I'll make sure you stay down!" He formed tiny balls of individual energies on each of his fingertips and then threw them at Vegeta. They exploded like bombs in his direction and Matto felt Vegeta's power level deplete.

Then he looked back to Belia. However, she was no longer in sight. He panicked and looked around with haste. "Show yourself!"

Belia stood behind a tree with an unconscious Vegeta on her back. She could feel his warm blood trickling onto her body and down her back. It soaked through her under armor like the heat his body was giving off. Carefully she set him down on the ground using her tail to remove him from her back. Once she became air born again, only then did she make her whereabouts be known.

"Let's go!" She fired away at him. He dodged and evaded her, but her best move always seemed to be the trick. It was the one thing he continuously failed at overcoming. It was something he would have to work at. "ETERNAL BLAZE!" She shouted her signature move. The huge ball of light cut through the air. It was unavoidable and he braced himself for the collision, for he knew there was nothing he could've produced to overpower it this time. Now he understood why Vegeta had taken her out. Were they a team now? Was Belia siding with this disgrace to the Saiyan race?

"Belia!" He shouted over the sound of the nearing attack. As it sliced through the air, it sounded like a jet plane. "You have betrayed me and you will pay!" The ball exploded on contact and Belia shielded her eyes from the entirety of the explosion until everything was quiet again.

"Vegeta!" She shouted his name right away and went back to the place she had left him. She had even marked the tree with an energy signal she could fly back to. She picked him up again and placed him on her back with her tail. They had to hurry to this place he had spoken of. Where was it? Time was of the essence. "Wake up!" She shouted, taking to the air, but she knew he had received quite a beating from Matto.

After flying a safe distance away from Matto, Belia descended down to a hill where she blasted a small crevice in the side away from the wind. They had to get out of the rain that had completely soaked through their clothes.

Once she had placed him among the interior, she brought a dry piece of wood in from outside. It had been kept out of the rain from the overhand of the hill, and she lit it with a blast of Ki. Its warmth was comforting, yet she still curled herself into the fetal position with fears growing inside her. Vegeta lay about five feet from her, close to the fire. What if he didn't wake up in time? What if he didn't wake up at all? She wouldn't be able to find the place he spoke of on this strange planet and Matto would take her away.

She began to ruminate about what Matto might want with her. Perhaps he was going to send her back to Hell? What if he was going to enslave her? Or worse, what if he returned her to Hell to be enslaved by Frieza? She didn't want to go back! Her heart began to beat loud in her ears as she went through a mental breakdown. Her arms were wrapped around her knees and she clung to her tail with fear. "Please wake up. I don't want to go back to Frieza," tears fell from her cheeks as she rocked herself back and forth. Mental pictures began to flood back to her of his reign over their planet. He had forced the female Saiyans to nourish his soldiers, cook for them, and house them, and please them. Frieza stole their planet's resources, depleted their vast coverage of plant life, and left the planet bleeding and dead.

Then came the vivid memory of the large ball of energy thundering towards planet Vegeta. She stood among her people. Some fired attacks in vain, while others accepted the inevitable. She remembered Frieza's echoing laugher as he slaughtered them. "What a show! Look at the fireworks!" Frieza's red eyes were wide with excitement and his lips were pulled tight against his teeth and curled at the edges.

"I don't want to go back to Frieza!" She repeated as she closed her eyes and shook her head wildly from side to side. "Please wake up! Please!"

Vegeta opened his eyes to see the sight. "Shut up!" He snapped coldly as he sat up. It was like babysitting Nappa all over again. She opened her eyes and looked down at herself in shame. She had lost her composure. He lay back down and placed a hand on his head. His fingers grazed over a cut above his right eyebrow. Matto had done quite a number on him. His mouth still tasted like the iron in his blood. "Get me something to drink," He demanded of the immortal. She didn't respond. With pain, he sat up again to see why she had ignored him. She was still curled up in a ball with her tail in between her legs and drawn into her arms. Her eyes were dark and scared. He noted she was still rocking back and forth as well.

"You aren't going back to Frieza." He assured her.

She looked up at him finally. "You left us," tears remained in her eyes. "You left us when we needed you the most…" She clung to herself, her arms remained tight around her knees that were pulled against her chest. Her words had cut him again.

"Stop your irrelevant babbling!" He yelled at her. "None of that matters now!" He used all the strength he possibly could to get to his feet, for he knew she wouldn't get him his water. Unfortunately, he didn't have enough energy. His legs buckled beneath him and he fell face down onto the rocky ground of the cave.

She scrambled across the floor, using her four limbs to propel her forward like a monkey in order to get a closer look at his condition. "Fine," She turned, but he grabbed her tail in fury and squeezed it.

"You will do no such thing!" He informed her. "I'll get it my damn self!" He stared at her intensely with his cheek against the dirt. Belia retreated back to her space in the cave once he had released her tail. Despite how thirsty he was, Vegeta's pride kept his thirst at bay. He would not ask for help from someone who accused him of something he had no control over. Belia watched him just as closely as he watched her.

"You're difficult." She commented.

"And you're a bitter wretch who holds a meaningless grudge."

She stood. To her it wasn't meaningless. She couldn't stand him anymore. "Just tell me how to get to this, 'place'. I don't need you!" Her voice pierced his sensitive ears.

"Your tone has changed since earlier." He commented on her mental breakdown. She squinted her eyes and flipped him off.

"Just tell me how to get there!" Belia yelled at him. "I'll do it myself!"

"You're difficult," Vegeta used her own words against her. A smirk was on his face. To this, she had nothing to say. It was in their blood to be difficult. Still, he wasn't going to let her out of his sight. He wasn't going to tell her where the tower was either. If she knew about the trap to be sprung, it wouldn't be easy to fool her into it with Matto.


	7. Chapter 7: Beloved Bulma

Disclaimer- I do not own Dragonball, DragonballZ, or DragonballGT.

Chapter 7: Beloved Bulma

The rain from yesterday made the next day quite cold. Still, Bulma had promised Bulla a trip to the park. Though the weather was still chilly and a thin white layer of clouds still hung in the hair, Bulma zipped up the front of Bulla's jacket and headed out doors. Bulma had on her old orange jumpsuit and cap from the days of the androids. She was happy it still fit after having two children. With the thought of children on her mind, Vegeta had been away for what felt like days now. She missed him bossing her around. She missed his presence in general. His gruff voice added extra manliness to the compound. She also missed Goku and the others. There was still no word back yet if Piccolo and Gohan had had any success with the white water mist. Hopefully they would return soon. All the while, poor Trunks had been putting up with all the ladies back at capsule corporation; Chichi, Pan, Videl, Eighteen, Marron, Bulla, and herself, oh and Yamcha, then she remembered Goten. But he was gone a lot despite his older brother's wishes. Bulma laughed to herself. Even though his dad was missing and times were getting tough, Goten was still chasing the girls. He obviously didn't let much get to him. Bulma took great pride in Trunks. With Vegeta gone, he was acting like the man of the house. It often led to disputes between him and Goten, but Bulma couldn't help that her little boy had the blood of a Saiyan Prince.

She took in a deep breath of air and looked at her girl beside her. She had on a little red jumpsuit like her mommies and her little hand was wrapped around three of Bulma's fingers. "Momma, I want ice cream."

"Bulla, it's too cold for ice cream honey." Bulma laughed. She held her purse close to her body over her shoulder on her other arm.

"I want ice cream!" Bulla shouted angrily. She would not be denied. Sadly, Bulma didn't want to put up with Bulla and her tantrums that she had learned from her father. Bulla was every bit as hot headed as Vegeta, who she had been watching the past five years of her life. He was a bad influence, but it charmed Bulma at the same time to know how much of a daddy's girl Bulla was. Bulma's own father, Mr. Briefs, had told her about how Vegeta, in the prime of his middle age, threw a childlike tantrum over the gravity machine. It made her laugh out loud again. "Fine darling, I will get you some ice cream."

Bulla looked pleased again and wore a smile once more. At least she didn't get her smiling habits from Vegeta. It was a rare sight these days. Bulma bit her lip as she thought about him. What if he wasn't coming back? Perhaps she had been too harsh and irrational with him. She was beginning to regret all that she had said about _his _immortal.

"Momma?" Bulla asked. She had been reading Bulma's facial expressions quite easily. Her mother was like an open book.

"Yes dear?"

"Are you still mad at daddy?" Her pig tails bounced as she tilted her head to the side. Her bright blue eyes were so precious and innocent.

"No." Bulma smiled with all her heart. She wasn't mad at him. She was mad at herself.

"Where is he?" She continued to ask questions about her prince of a father.

"I don't know." Bulma said honestly with a twinge of worry. It wasn't in her voice, it was on her face. She knew she had gone too far and had pushed him away. She knew this because Trunks had been giving her the cold shoulder lately.

After they had stopped at the nearest ice cream stand, Bulma took her wallet out of her purse to pay and while doing so she found a picture of the four of them in front of the Capsule Corporation. Vegeta was in the middle with Bulla in his arms. Trunks stood behind him with a serious look on his face. It was also rare to see him smile. This picture had been from a while ago, she knew this because Trunks's hair was short and Bulla was much smaller. That girl was growing like a weed and she knew there would be issues down the road if Bulla grew to be taller than her father. Bulma threw her head back and laughed at the thought.

They then sat down together on a bench and Bulla licked her ice cream with satisfaction. Bulma was still entranced by the photo as she also noticed herself in the picture. She was so pale compared to her mate, son, and daughter. Their Saiyan blood set them apart from her. She wished she could be a Saiyan, but that was impossible. Unknown to anyone was the fact that she had tried to wish herself Saiyan once before, but the dragon told her it was out of his power. She then felt ashamed of even trying to change herself.

Bulma continued to inspect the picture. "I want to see it!" Bulla demanded. Although Bulma's thoughts had been interrupted, she smiled with love and handed the picture to her daughter. At that moment the wind picked up and the picture flew from her hands. It was gone. Bulma frowned. It was one of the only pictures of the four of them together. "Sorry momma," Bulla apologized.

"It's okay honey." Bulma said sadly. She had wanted to look at the picture longer, simply because she was missing Vegeta. Where ever he was, she was sure he wasn't thinking about her. She knew it. He was most likely kicking ass and raising Hell. This thought satisfied her and comforted her.

The sun had risen hours ago and Vegeta was finally feeling rested enough to get back to making his way to the lookout tower. He stretched his muscles. "Let's go." He told Belia. She was standing outside of the cave, looking towards the sky.

"Something is wrong…" She told him.

At first, Vegeta didn't understand what she meant, but now he realized it was odd that Matto hadn't returned all through the night to attack them. In fact, his energy signal was nowhere to be sensed.

"I can't feel his energy anywhere. I think he gave up." Belia looked at Vegeta. He shook his head from side to side.

"No. He'll be back. Wherever he is, he is strategizing to avoid failure again." Vegeta took to the skies. They had to risk traveling this instant. If Vegeta didn't lure him to the tower on his terms, then the plan would flop. "Let's go!" He shouted at her again.

With the jug of white water mist in hand, Gohan poured a small amount of its contents over Krillin's head at Master Roshi's Kame house. His stone statue remained. "Maybe we didn't use enough?" Gohan suggested. Piccolo shook his head in dismay.

"Don't waste your time or the water. It's obviously not going to work." He went for the front doors. Gohan and his cape followed behind him out the door. He was starting to feel frustrated by this whole ordeal. There were so many questions left unanswered, such as who did this to them and why there was a female Saiyan running around from Hell. There hadn't been any major catastrophes yet, but he felt like something bad was going to happen soon. "None of this is making sense." Piccolo told Gohan. "I fear we are going to be too late by the time we figure this thing out."

Gohan couldn't agree with him more. The two looked out towards the raging ocean that was covered by a cloudy sky. They felt so helpless fighting against a secret antagonist that had no definite shape or form. If only it made itself known to them now, then at least they would know what they were up against. But they had absolutely nothing to go off of. Together they blasted off from the island and set their course for all the way back to Capsule Corporation.

The tower creaked slightly and rocked with the wind. It was an amazing structure that defied all laws of logic science, but nobody questioned it. Belia tested the tiles by placing the tip of her white boot on its surface.

"What are you doing you idiot?" Vegeta stood with his arms crossed.

"Won't my weight throw the balance of this tower off? It's only held up by one pole…"

"No." Vegeta said as he walked towards the stair entrance. "Before we head into the training area I need to slip into something more suitable for battle." Belia followed and took in all her surroundings. Her fists swung at her sides and her tail moved back and forth as she walked.

"So this is the place we are going to defeat him at?"

"Yes." His answers were getting shorter just like his patience with her. He could only stand so many stupid questions. They turned the corner at the top of some stairs and saw a closet without a door filled with equipment and armor. Mr. Popo knew Vegeta came here to train when the gravity machine was broken. It happened a lot and he refused to go without training at all. He appreciated the solitude that the chamber offered.

After he had grabbed his training equipment he began to strip right in front of her and dress into the new wardrobe. She was too distracted by the feeling of energies that were moving away from the tower. There were two and they hadn't left too long ago. Vegeta knew it was Gohan and Piccolo.

"This way," He left his pile of human clothes on the floor and led her to the hyperbolic time chamber. "If we spend 50 days in this time chamber, only 3 hours will pass on Earth. I say we train before we face Matto. Even if he does show up while we are still training, that is part of the plan. We need him here anyway." He said fixing his gloves. Belia looked at the brown double doors. She was down for training. The smile on her face said it all.

Back at the Capsule Corporation, Bulma was drained. Having played with Bulla on the slides and chased her around the park, her feet hurt and she was exhausted. Bulla had laid down for her afternoon nap right about now. Chichi was doing laundry with Pan, Eighteen was playing with Marron in the living room, and Yamcha was teaching Goten how to pick up ladies. The poor boy was doomed. All the while, Trunks was in his father's gravity room training. Overall, she felt like a great mother. She was so proud of her children and her small family. It was almost as if Vegeta's pride had spread to all of them, filling each of their hearts. Bulma knew that Trunks was going to make a very special person happy someday, even if they were a big fat alien from another planet.

Bulma shed her clothes and got into the shower. The water was steaming hot. She wanted to holler for her mate to ask him if he wanted to join her, but he wasn't there. The last time they had showered together, she was completely clothed and tearful. She had been so emotionally unstable then. She knew how proud Vegeta was of his race. What if he chose to leave her for this female Saiyan to continue a pure breed of warriors? Those were the doubts she had to push out of her mind. She had to completely trust him after all, he was very reliable.

After she had washed her hair and scrubbed her body, she got out of the shower and headed to her room to find some evening clothes for the rest of the day. They had to be comfortable. She walked with the towel around her body and dropped it once she was in front of her dresser. She picked out a pair of underwear and a bra, and looked at herself in the mirror after she did so. She wondered what she would look like if she had a tail.

Suddenly, almost out of thin air, a man appeared behind her, and slapped a hand over her mouth. She kicked and screamed to no avail. It was muffled and his strength was incredible. He had a scar on his shoulder and he was very pale. What she noticed most was his halo.

"My, my," He began. He then held up the picture of her, Vegeta, Trunks, and Bulla with his tail. "You're even more beautiful in person," He said licking her neck. She wanted to faint from fear and disgust. "Vegeta will be either happy to see you or disappointed you still exist. But you're the first little thing I saw, so you're coming with me!" He laughed. He dragged her through the room to the balcony, and then flew off with great haste. If this didn't work, he would have to admit defeat. With Bulma in his hands, he could manipulate Vegeta into doing whatever he wanted just to keep this Earth woman safe. He would trade Bulma for Belia. That was his offer.


	8. Chapter 8: In the Chamber

Disclaimer- I do not own Dragonball, DragonballZ, or DragonballGT.

Chapter 8: In the Chamber

Vegeta stood with his fists at his sides. He was one step away from leaving the safety zone into the vast white of unpredictability that the time chamber offered.

"You aren't going to get much training done standing over there." He informed her. His voice echoed and repeated itself in her mind. She was too overwhelmed by the chamber. It was almost as if a whole other universe could fit inside. She was breathless. There was a bed and a bath to her right and two different hour glasses filled with blue sand. Where was the light coming from? She couldn't understand how there was so much light, but no source for it, such as a star, and with so much light how did she even have a shadow? The time chamber was such a bizarre place.

She walked towards him and her tailed twitched behind her. "How is this a great training environment?" Belia asked. The gold plates that covered her chest and back flashed.

"Come here and I will show you." He dared her to take the first step. She wasn't expecting the sudden change in gravity that one step held. It had almost caused her to fall. The air also thickened. "The farther you go, the harder it is to breath. The gravity fluxgates like the temperatures in this place and the weather are just as unpredictable. I'm sure you can last fifty days though." He laughed. "It's child's play."

This was unlike anything she had ever experienced in her life, but she was up for the challenge. Without any warning she smacked him in the back of the head and cart wheeled away. "What the?" Vegeta drew his brows together at the sight of her. "This isn't a game! You could get lost out here!" He told her.

"Catch me if you can!" She had her tongue sticking out. It infuriated him that she didn't take this seriously. The training began immediately. As she did her cartwheels, summersaults, and back flips, she evaded his attacks one by one. Her flexible water like moves were more insulting than Goku's eating habits.

"Damn you!" Vegeta amped his power level and then took off from his stationary position to throw a punch. She ducked to avoid his fists and then punched him in his jaw.

He was impressed, but not enough to give her credit. "Let's see your offence now." He raised one of his brows. She was obviously quite good at dodging.

Belia smiled and took to the air. "Are you sure?"

Trunks stood with Bulla on his shoulders. "I don't think you looked for her hard enough." He told his little sister. "Mom," he knocked on her door before going in.

"I tell you big bro, she's not here." Bulla began to cry. "Now momma and papa are gone."

Trunks looked around the room. The balcony doors were left wide open and her towel lay on the floor in front of the dresser. He then walked to her bathroom. Usually she straightened her hair, but the iron was cold, showing that it hadn't been used yet. "That's not like mom to leave the house without making sure she looked good." Trunks placed a hand on his forehead. He was hoping he was wrong, but something didn't feel right.

"I'm scared." Bulla told him. He pulled her down from his shoulders and gave her a big hug. She clung to his Capsule Corporation jacket and the spouts of hair in her piggy tails brushed against the bottom of his chin.

"Don't be scared." Trunks told her. "Mom says Dad is the toughest guy in the world and he wouldn't let anything happen to you, me, or mom."

Bulla still clung to his jacket. "I think you're pretty tough too." She reminded him.

"Thanks," Trunks said calmly, even though he was worried sick at this point. Bulma was missing; there was no doubt about that. How could he have let that happen? Vegeta had left him in charge for a reason- to protect the family while he was away. What was he going to do? He had no clues, no leads as to where his mother had gone or had been taken for that matter.

The battle between Belia and Vegeta commenced. They threw punches left and right and Belia, now on offence, was dishing out as much damage as she could. She was fighting with her emotions. She was angry at the thought of loneliness. She had nothing to go home to. Planet Vegeta was gone. Her chest heaved and sweat dripped from her forehead. Upon her mouth was her own dried blood. Elsewhere, the prince's blood had stained her attire.

If he wasn't mistaken, she was trying to kill him. He noted the deadly expression on her face. What made her so hateful? It felt like moments ago when their fight had first begun, she was playing around. Now, she was fighting like he had done something to her. How many times did he have to say it? It wasn't his fault Frieza sent him away when their Planet was destroyed! She was cold and bitter for no reason! Vegeta gathered a fist full of Ki in his right hand and fired.

It was no surprise that she dodged it and stuck back with her own. It hit him right in his side and left him winded on the icy ground. He felt dizzy with exhaustion, but he had to keep fighting. While he was on his back he thought. Maybe she wasn't fighting with her grudge towards him at all. Perhaps she was simply just angry. He felt her loneliness and rage at being part of the small handful of pure blooded Saiyans left. It was a feeling he had also gone through at one point in his life. It led him to be thankful for Bulma.

If not for her, he would've remained cold and bitter, with nothing to change the violence in his heart that had been the result of the tyrant Frieza. He missed his mate and his offspring. At least he had them to go back to. At least he had something to fight for. Belia had nothing. He was glad he hadn't turned out like her.

They went back to throwing punches and hail began to fall from nowhere, but her heart. The hyperbolic time chamber generated conditions equal to the emotions of the trainer and Vegeta could feel the ground warming beneath his feet just before it burst into flame. At this point, he knew she had realized it as well. She was controlling the conditions.

"I don't care anymore…" She had tears in her furious eyes. Her face was red and the brown hairs on her tail had risen. "I don't care about what happened to planet Vegeta anymore!" The air began to move strangely around her. If she had let it go, then why was she still furious? What was this hate that consumed her? Vegeta was bracing himself, the fire beneath him lapped his feet, and the hail stones had grown in size. "I realize now, it's not you I hate. It's the fact that I have nothing to fall back on, but myself!" Flames shot up from the ground and burned him. The heat was overwhelming, but he still managed to swipe a glace up at her. Her hair and tail had turned golden and her eyes were now blue. He could see the fire in them. It was then the startling thought of death began to rack his brain. _She's going to kill me…_

Her hands raised above her head and waves moved through the air. Once she had collected and harnessed her energy and some of his energy, she threw the blast as hard as she could. The rumble of its anger was like a monster. It had grown and it was hungry to consume everything in its path. Vegeta's eyes were wide. Its diameter was far too large for him to escape it now.

"I will be back, so long as there is something to come back to!" He reminded her over the deafening noise the blast created. He was picturing his loved ones, Bulma, Trunks, and Bulla. He felt pity for Belia, because she would never know the feeling. Frieza had done irreversible damage to her, that unlike Vegeta, could not be repaired. Because of this, Belia would never change her ways. Her loneliness would continue to consume her for all eternity. Vegeta closed his eyes. This could have been his fate.

He opened his arms, embracing the impact of the energy. He would die with no regrets, no ill feelings, and no hate in his heart. Not even towards Belia.

The flames, the hail, and her golden hair all disappeared as soon as Vegeta had fallen out of her sight. Dispatching him hadn't made her feel better at all. What had she done?

In Matto's arms, Bulma was freezing. Other than her bra and underwear, there was nothing keeping her skin from hitting the cold wind as they flew. She shivered and goose bumps dotted her skin. It was at that moment she realized that she wasn't cold from the wind at all. Her chest felt empty and the air felt harder to breathe. "No…" She whispered. "No! You better not die! If you do, I'll take a wrecking ball to the gravity machine!" She started yelling. Matto struggled to keep a hold of her as she kicked and screamed, with red cheeks. The day she stopped yelling, screaming, and fighting with Vegeta- that would be the day she stopped loving him. "Don't piss me off!" Was she going crazy, he wondered? With a minimal amount of force his fist bushed against her jaw, leaving her unconscious in his grasp. It didn't take a lot of energy to subdue these human weaklings.

The air was stiff and heavy, but Belia completely ignored it. Vegeta's body lay on the white floor. His face was down and his arms and legs were sprawled out. A small puddle of blood had formed around his bleeding head. It was crazy how much blood could be shed from a place on his cheek. For whatever miracle had worked its magic, he was still breathing. He was alive!

She picked him up with her tail and placed him on her back. His warmth radiated through her clothes and she flew as quickly as she could back to the safety zone of the time chamber.

Back on the tiles, she set him on the bed and ran some warm water in the tub that was next to it. It was nothing like the healing chambers on planet Vegeta, but it was the only source of water she knew existed in the chamber. She had to clean the wounds she had inflicted upon him and make sure he healed and survived. She needed him to show her how to trap Matto. He still hadn't told her exactly how to do it.

She undressed herself first and then returned to Vegeta. His blood stained the white sheets he had been strewn across. His body was just as limp as the covers. It was a rather easy task to strip away his boots, gloves, and armor, most of it had already been chipped away. But his under armor was a bit more difficult. She moved it away from him like a second skin, revealing his scars, abrasions, and contusions. She then lifted him from the bed. He was lighter than she expected him to be, but that was on the account of his height, she assumed. She could feel his hot breath against her chest. His head dangled on his shoulders and his chin touched his chest. She continued taking steps backwards until she felt the back of her thighs touched the tub. She then lifted him over the side and lowered him into the water. Due to his height, if she left him alone in the tub unconscious, he probably would've drowned, so she sat behind him and leaned the back of his head against her shoulder.

Trunks stood with Bulla in his arms. He looked at everyone in the room. Eighteen, Marron, Goten, Videl, Pan, Chichi, Yamcha, Gohan, and Piccolo. "Our mother is missing," Trunks began. He needed to rally the troop and prepare them for a fight. He was looking at Bulla. She, Marron, Pan, Chichi, and Videl were the only ones who weren't going to go. Videl had offered to baby sit anyway.

"We need to find her and get down to the bottom of this!" Trunks demanded. "Piccolo, the sensu beans?" Trunks asked. Piccolo held them up to show that he had grabbed them on the way back from the tower. "Great."

Eighteen set her daughter down on the couch and kissed her goodbye. "I'll be back soon sweetheart." The little girl nodded her head in agreement. Trunks then set Bulla down.

"Promise you'll come back?" She looked up at him. His tall figure towered over her.

"You know it! And mom and dad too." He smiled. Bulla knew this to be true. Her handsome older brother always kept his word.

Gohan then turned to Pan, his wife, and his mother. "Don't worry, everything will be back to normal soon." Gohan reminded them with his pearly whites showing. Pan, who was just a little younger than Bulla reflected his happy disposition. Videl kissed his smile. Chichi then stepped up to give him a hug. As part of the small Z warrior gang, they all had hope.

A couple of hours had passed now. The water had been left running since Belia couldn't turn it off while sitting behind Vegeta. Surprisingly it had stayed hot. It ran over the sides of the tub and shimmered outward over the white tiles out into the endless space of the hyperbolic time chamber. Vegeta watched the ripples continue. Belia's tail moved over his muscles and her hands were rested upon his thighs. He could hear her light breathing behind him. Apparently she had fallen asleep. This proved that even immortals eventually faced fatigue.

He couldn't believe she had almost killed him. What was even more unbelievable was the fact that he was still alive. He closed his eyes again and pictured Bulma. He could've sworn he heard her yelling at him. It was odd how even though they were apart, he could feel her presence with him wherever he went.

Belia's tail continued to twitch across his chest while she dreamed. It was beginning to annoy him. He reached for it and held it still. With such a sensitive appendage in his grasp she woke up instantly. There was nothing he could do for her. She was alone in a world she was never meant to be in. She didn't belong here. Perhaps this is the sorrow Bulma felt for him that drove them together?

"I thought you were going to die." She worded her sentence harshly, but she was in fact relieved.

"Shut up. You aren't that lucky." He replied coldly. "Was it necessary to take these measures?" He asked about their being in a tub. He didn't appreciate how she had deprived him of his apparel, even if it was to keep his wounds away from his clothing.

"I would've had no problem dumping you in here to drown by yourself." She sassed.

"Then why didn't you?" He asked, with her tail still firmly in his grasp. It was as if she had different DNA. It was as if she was from a different planet. She was new and out of this world. She was the alien, so unfamiliar. It was preposterous to think that they actually originated from the same place in space. He had grown so used to Earth now and not having a tail. It was difficult to picture anything else. He felt semi-human. For a second, he realized just how homesick he was.

He could feel her shrug behind him. "If you die, how will I trap Matto? You haven't told me how to do it and I'm beginning to lose trust in you. What if you are trying to trap me as well?" Belia was finally hitting the nail on the head.

Vegeta kept a cool composure on the matter. "I see. So you only kept me alive because you could benefit from me."

"Pretty much." She laughed harshly. "That's all you are worth to me."

He shook his head back and forth. It was good to know that she wanted nothing to do with him, but at the same time he felt pity for her. Instead she was only looking out for herself. "I once called you ignorant. I realize now that was only an understatement." He let go of her tail and folded his arms across his chest.

"What can I say other than the truth?" She posed an unanswerable question.

"I feel sorry for you," he began. He hated how much he was beginning to sound like Kakorot. "To be so self-absorbed, so lonely," She had her chin rested against his broad shoulder as she listened carefully to him. "I have complete confidence that you will never change either and that is an even greater pity I feel for you." He felt her loneliness just as Bulma had felt for him, even though she had still been with Yamcha.

Belia snaked her arms under his and wrapped them around his torso. "I once had the capacity for change," She told him. "But I realize that it's gone now. It left when you did Vegeta. I know now that it was never meant for me, like it was for you. So I will continue on alone," She said. "And you can keep your pity." She stood from the tub and removed herself from behind him. "I planned on going down with Matto anyway."

He was struck by her last sentence. She had been aware of his plan to trap her as well, but for how long? He watched her go. Her curly tail swung back and forth with each step she took. Across her back were deep black inscriptions in Saiyan. The symbol of a crown was beneath it. "What is that?" He questioned suddenly as he stood. His pounding head nearly made him slip and fall from dizziness, but he kept on his feet.

"What?" She asked.

He finally shut the water off and walked over to her, placing a hand on the top of her back. "These bizarre marks?"

She pushed his hand away and put up her walls. "Don't touch me!"

He stared at them as she picked up her clothes in a cursory manner. She wanted to cloth herself as quickly as possible. Very faintly he remembered Saiyan rituals he had read about in his youth when he was first introduced to being a prince. Saiyans had arranged marriages for their princes and their females were marked for life from the time they were born.

"I didn't realize…" He stammered. "I had no idea…"

She interrupted him. "Leave me alone!" Her voice was filled with fury. The subject was too personal for her and she wanted him to drop it. He traced the markings on her back with his eyes instead. Even with all the living creatures in the universe, she desired a life of solitary instead straying away from him. He turned her around by her arm and stared into her eyes. In them, he saw the endless possibilities. Among the pitch blackness they conveyed, he pictured vast depths of space. He longed for travel, he longed for the thrill of life threatening situations, and the exotic landscapes of distant planets, the desire to speak in their native tongue. But those possibilities had already passed them by. They had expired so very long ago. Finally, he released the firm grasp he had on her arm. It wasn't meant for them and a wave of sorrow washed over him for her and nothing more or less. In a parallel universe, they were meant to be together, but fate had placed him in Bulma's heart, and he was thankful for that.


	9. Chapter 9: Opposite Forces Collide!

Disclaimer- I do not own Dragonball, DragonballZ, or DragonballGT.

Chapter 9: Opposite Forces Collide!

After using up the last days of their training in the hyperbolic time chamber, Vegeta and Belia emerged from the brown double doors and took their last steps towards preparing for battle. They ate Mr. Popo's fine cooked meals, took showers, and changed into fresh battle gear.

"I can't believe only three hours passed in this world." She was still baffled at the fifty days they had spent training. They were stronger and it was time well spent.

Vegeta stood at the edge of the tower looking over the side at the Earth. He could feel the power. It was faint for now, but it was growing by the second. "He's on his way." Vegeta turned around. This meant that they had to head back into the time chamber to spring their trap.

Once they were back in the chamber, she felt great discomfort. It felt as if they had been there for so long with no change in scenery it had made her sick of it. It was worse than being in a correction facility with white padded walls.

"How do you know he'll come in here?" Belia asked curiously.

"He'll feel our energies." Vegeta glanced at her. His fists were curled at his sides.

Belia kept her eyes on the doors. Matto's energy was strong now. It was making her anxious and building suspense. She was waiting for him to walk through the door at any moment. She had become hyper aware of the situation until at last the door crept open.

Matto's tall figure stepped into the room and Bulma was unconscious in his arms. A faint bruise had formed on her chin. Vegeta instantly transformed into a Super Saiyan. He was standing a few feet away from Belia.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Matto generated a ball of energy at the tip of his finger and held it to Bulma's right temple. "Calm yourself Vegeta, or she'll never see the light of day again." Vegeta's golden hair turned back to black and he straightened up his defensive stance into one of a lesser threat. "I'll trade you." Matto told Vegeta. "Bulma for Belia, if she is worth anything to you anymore."

Vegeta ignored his assumption that he had an affinity for the immortal. Belia glared at him as if to say _take her and leave. _He wasn't going to argue with her either.

"So be it." Vegeta replied. He slowly walked towards Matto to assure him that he wasn't going to pull anything and that he had no tricks up his sleeves. Behind him, Belia knelt on her knees and placed her arms out in front of her to prove she was giving up.

Matto relinquished control over Bulma to Vegeta and it took every ounce of Vegeta's will power not to attack the man who had assaulted his mate. He then made his way towards the double doors with Bulma in his arms. Vegeta wished that he had something to cover her up with. All the while, he felt like not only was he leaving Belia behind, but also a small piece of himself. He turned to look at her once more before heading out the doors, but she did not look up at him. She couldn't bring herself to witness him carrying away his mate in his secure embrace. It was too much for her.

Outside of the closed doors Vegeta set his mate down gently against the tiled floors of the tower and then held his right palm up. It a matter of seconds he completely obliterated the hyperbolic time chamber. It shook the tower, smoke plumed into the air, and he was finally assured it was over. Bulma, who had heard the blast woke up in a heartbeat. She was scared to see the explosion, but once she saw Vegeta, her fears disappeared.

Belia had heard the explosion, but it was strange how the double doors inside the chamber appeared to be the same. She knew however that there was no way out now. They had been cut off and separated in a different dimension.

"What was that?" She heard Matto ask. She lifted her heard from the tiles and saw him reach for the doors that simply would not open. He even tried to shoot them with a blast of Ki.

"We are stuck here forever," Belia told him as she got to her feet. He cranked his neck to look at her.

"You don't know what you've done." He stormed in her direction. Once he reached her, he swept the back of his hand across her face. It did not faze her. Although they hadn't fought, she had won. Wherever he had desired to take her wasn't any of her concern any longer. "All I wanted was for us to be together forever," He began. She was listening to him carefully, watching his moves, watching his lips as he spoke. "I did this for us, under the conditions that if we were immortal, Hemofear could control the universe. She gave me twenty-four Earth hours to undo the deal if I brought you back with me, but she sent me half way across the globe and erased some of your memory."

Belia had drawn her tail around herself as if she had crossed her arms. "Matto, you and I were never meant to be together."

He had acquired a crazy look in his eye at once with her last statement. "You have no idea how much trouble I've gone through to get us out of Hell and you can't even appreciate me a little?" He was laughing. It was sinister and unsettling.

"I never asked you to get us out of Hell." Belia pulled her brows together. "I was just fine where I was."

"No you weren't." He quickly interrupted her. "As soon as the Prince's son killed Frieza you lost your mind. Frieza is your phobia and I couldn't stand to see you so upset." Matto looked thoughtful for a second, but the darkness overcame him again.

Belia was standing before him. She wasn't looking at him anymore. Instead, she was looking over his shoulder beyond him with her face straight forward. She was contemplating about how she had kicked the prince's son, Trunks. It had felt so good, so good to send him crashing into the wall with the intent of killing him. The mental image of his leaking nose, his busted skin, his limp body in the arms of his mother- it came rushing back to her. It also made her understand why she hated Bulma and Vegeta for bringing him into this world. Belia's eyes were wide. "I… I didn't even know that was the prince's son, but I went after him anyway as if it were instinct… Even though most of my memory was lost, my hate led me to attack him. It all makes sense to me now!" Her realizations were coming too late and they weren't any use to her at this point. She began to remember all the information she had lost just from this one enlightenment that she walked the Earth seeking revenge upon the prince's son for sending Frieza to Hell.

"Well, I hope you are happy. Any minute now, Hemofear will appear on Earth and begin her takeover of the universe. It's scary to know that only you could hold so much anger and bitterness in your heart to give her the last bit of power she needed." His eyes were darting around the brightness of the time chamber. "I'm surprised you haven't realized yet, that she's been with you this whole time, feeding off your hate." It was then that Belia noticed she had a distinct shadow behind her.

Vegeta stood next to Bulma with his arms crossed. He was feeling uneasy. Matto handing over Bulma so easily wasn't sitting right with him. He didn't feel as if it were over yet. "Woman, do you feel Kakorot's existence or any of the others yet? I can't sense their energy."

Bulma had been too caught up with the thought of being rescued by her prince and seeing Vegeta again that the others were absent on her mind. She closed her eyes and placed her hand to her chest and she shook her head from side to side. "No. I can't feel them at all."

Again, Vegeta took Bulma's word for it. This was not over yet and things were about to get much worse, far worse than they had ever planned for. At that moment he saw Trunks, Piccolo, Gohan, Goten, Eighteen, and Yamcha cutting through the air in the distance. As soon as they landed, he grabbed Bulma by the wrist and walked her to them. "Take her home boy, and get out of here." He pushed her into Trunks's arms. Trunk's cheeks slightly blushed with embarrassment at the sight of his half nude mother in her bra and underwear. He also looked confused. Belia was nowhere in sight. He couldn't sense any negative energy either.

"Father, what's wrong?" Trunks asked. Although Bulma was in need of clothing, he knew there was a greater meaning in his father's words. He could hear the haste and distress that his tone carried.

Suddenly the tower began to shake and a shrill scream rattled their ears. Everyone cupped their ears and cringed in pain. Belia fell from the portal that had opened just feet away from the fighters. It looked like a small spiral galaxy had appeared out of thin air. Apparently Belia had suffered a terrible beating as well as her counterpart, Matto. Their bodies were discarded on the tiles of the lookout tower by a dark shadowy hand. They were unconscious.

"Damn! Trunks, take your mother and get out of here!" He demanded once more. The Z fighters watched as dark blob stretched over the tiles and shaped itself like some insidious abstract creature with no form. She looked deep into Vegeta's eyes and let out a great deal of laugher.

"I can see your greatest weakness Vegeta and I must say it's pretty pathetic."

"What?" He was absolutely disgusted by the beast's arrogance. He charged an attack and shot at the blob of darkness. It merely molded its abstract form around the blast of energy and sculpted itself into eight gigantic slippery worms with fangs and red eyes.

"Worms!" He shrunk back in disgust. He grew pale and his face was contorted with a grimace.

Bulma slapped a hand on her forehead. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment.

Just feet away, Belia finally regained consciousness to see the battle that was being waged on the tower. It was nothing she had expected. The prince of Saiyans was being chased around by eight large worms. "You can't be serious!" She shouted in fury and fired at them. She had only managed to hit one.

"Is this not what you fear?" The worm she had shot transformed back into a black shadow and molded itself into something different. With purple shoulders and a purple head, white skin, and red eyes, with a long tail, Frieza appeared on the scene.

Everyone turned their heads towards the new threat that had accumulated on the spot. His voice was exactly as she remembered, his laugh, his posture- she wanted to vomit. "Have you missed me?" Frieza waved his tail at her and the Z-fighters.

"Oh no!" Gohan exclaimed. They now had seven worms and a Frieza running around, wreaking havoc.


	10. Chapter 10: Defaced

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball, DragonballZ, or DragonballGT.

Chapter 10: Defaced

Gohan, Goten, Piccolo, Eighteen, and Yamcha stood frozen on the tower.

"When Vegeta and Belia attacked that thing, it morphed!" Goten stated his observation on the matter. His wild hair waved as a breeze swept over the tower. Everyone knew this to be true. It rendered them useless unless they were ready to face their fears. Bulma stood close to Trunks. They were watching Vegeta get chased by seven ugly worms.

"Father!" Trunks called to him, "You have to get over your fear in order to defeat it. Physical attacks and energy attacks won't work!"

Vegeta could clearly hear his son, but it was easier said than done. Worms were slimy, stinky, and gross. They made him think of hookworms and tapeworms which were both disgusting parasites that embedded within the flesh of living creatures.

Vegeta stopped in mid air and placed his hand over his mouth. Just thinking about parasitic worms living in his intestines or anyone's intestines made him want to vomit. Soon after came the images of worms living inside of open wounds and feasting on the blood and infection. "I am going to be sick," He was trying so hard not to vomit, but the worms were getting closer. Normal worms couldn't fly, but these worms had no limits. They went wherever he went. Their mouths were wide open, displaying their rows of teeth like those of sharks ready to consume and digest him.

"The only way to overcome your fears is to assure yourself that this is merely an illusion. Your fears are what you make them." Trunks was yelling.

Vegeta closed his eyes. He was hunched over with his gloved hand over his mouth. He just wanted them to go away. It was crazy how he was afraid of such petty things as worms, but had witnessed other grotesque things far worse. Plus, there could always be something worse than worms…

Vegeta opened his eyes with confusion. The worms had been closing in on him. Surely they would've had him for lunch by now, but they had vanished instead, leaving dark transparencies hanging in the air. They wiggled and then coalesced back into one disfigured being.

"Very good, Vegeta," Hemofear smiled her crooked yellow teeth. "But unfortunately, things have become much worse for you. See, now I am aware of an even greater fear that resides within you." She pointed her hideous gaze to his mate who stood beside Trunks.

Without warning, a blast of Ki left the tip of Hemofear's finger. Trunks charged his counter attack and stood in front of Bulma as to protect her.

"No Trunks!" Yelled Vegeta. He didn't want Trunks to suffer Hemofear's wrath so he protected the both of them. In those few seconds that Vegeta had to act upon, he didn't have enough time to summon any Ki. The blast struck right through his chest as he entered its deadly path.

"Vegeta!" Screamed Bulma. Trunks caught his father as he fell back into his arms. His blood spotted the white tiles, and across the tower Belia couldn't believe what she saw.

Vegeta had risked his life in order to save those he cared for while she continued to suffer at the hands of Frieza. Frieza had wrapped his tail around her body, tapering her arms against her sides as he repeatedly punched her in her stomach. She felt sick, but there was nothing she could do to stop the nightmare. She tried to overcome her fear, but the pain felt too real. She was still too hateful and bitter to leave the past behind her and relinquish the haunting apparition before her that was the tyrant Frieza. And again, the Prince couldn't help her. She had given up on Vegeta a long time ago and the pain and hurt commenced with her feelings of anger.

Trunks set his father down gently with tears in his eyes. Bulma threw herself across Vegeta's torso and wept. "This has gone too far!" Trunks nearly screamed at the top of his lungs.

"No!" Gohan shouted, but it was too late. Trunks had already fired one of his most powerful blasts ever recorded. The light it radiated made Hemofear scream, but the blast itself was ineffective as Hemofear's intricate body molded around the Ki.

"And thus the Prince's son exposes his fear!" Hemofear's dark laugher echoed over the tower. Trunks turned his head to view Bulma. She too had a gaping hole through the back now and was bleeding profusely.

"Mother!" Trunks yelled and ran to her. She was still clinging to Vegeta and Trunks clearly saw her take her last breath. Together, both of his parents had been lost. He shook with fear and tears welled in his eyes. "They're dead! You killed them!" He fell to his hands and knees about five feet from them.

"No they're not!" Piccolo shouted in vain with his green fist held out before him. Bulma sat up to view her son. Vegeta barely opened his eyes. He needed a sensu bean and fast. Piccolo threw a little bean to Vegeta and it landed close to his hand. With all his strength, he lifted the bean to his mouth and ate it.

At the same time, Bulma ran to Trunks and placed a hand on his shoulder. She shook him wildly. "They're dead! They're dead!" He cried. "My dearest mother and prideful father…"

"Trunks! I'm here honey!" She tried to comfort him, but he didn't respond.

"Bulma…" Piccolo stepped forward and removed his cape and head gear. "Trunks is beyond our help. He's hallucinating from Hemofear's dark powers."

Vegeta stood and brushed himself off. Seeing Trunks this way took him back quite a few years. He had remembered nights when he wished he could be with his father again. With Frieza on his mind, he looked towards the tyrant and Belia. She was in bad shape, but she was low on his list of priorities because unlike the others, she was immortal.

Again, she watched him turn his back to her. Belia's eyes burned and watered. No one would help her…

Piccolo shared a new tactic. "When Trunks fired his blast I heard Hemofear scream. I think light is her weakness."

Vegeta shoot his head in agreement. "What's that light show you clowns put on again?"

"It's called Solar Flare," Gohan snarled. The move was getting ready to be quite useful to them and he was offended that Vegeta had in some way insulted and degraded it.

Everyone looked towards Hemofear. She was still distracted with tainting Trunks's mind with horrifying illusions. They knew this because she had an awful smile on her darkened face and her eyes were fixed intently on him.

"Let's act now while she's distracted!" Piccolo demanded. Goten, Gohan, Piccolo, and Yamcha placed their hands above their eyes were their fingers extended as they prepared their attack. Eighteen, Vegeta, and Bulma closed their eyes.

"SOLAR FLARE!"

The brightness spread across the tower. A high pitch scream filled the air and Trunks and Belia became unable to see. Belia was relieved though that she couldn't feel Frieza's presence anymore. She lay discarded upon the tiles, confused, yet able to breathe again. Trunks was in a brief state of dementia. He had an awful headache and he was having issues remembering what was going on. If only he could see, but his vision was so blurry.

Vegeta opened his eyes to see his son Trunks. He had a lost expression on his face. "Trunks!" He snapped to see if his boy was coherent yet.

"F…Father?" Trunks turned his head towards the direction in which he had heard his father's voice.

From the corner of his eye, Vegeta could see Belia running towards them. Despite how her vision had been impaired, she had every desire to kill the prince and his son. Belia dropped to her knees a few feet away and drew her arms above her head to charge her blind attack.

Vegeta watched with wide eyes.

"Look out above you!" Cried Bulma.

Vegeta tilted his head upward. To make matters worse, Hemofear had reappeared.

"You can't get rid of me that easy!" She snarled angrily.

"ETERNAL BLAZE!" Belia went to fire, but Frieza, who had appeared as soon as Hemofear had recovered, whipped his tail across Belia's face. He sent her crashing into the side of the building on top of the lookout tower. Trunks was startled to his feet and Hemofear began to charge her attack. A huge black ball that radiated lightning expanded quickly in front of them.

"We have to get out of here!" Goten yelled. Vegeta turned to Bulma and picked her up. Eighteen, Piccolo, Gohan, Goten, and Yamcha took to the air.

"What about Trunks?" Bulma asked. Vegeta searched the surface of the tower until he saw the lavender haired half Saiyan among the debris of the tower. Slung over one shoulder was Matto as he searched for Belia.

"What are you doing?" Vegeta yelled. "You Idiot! They're immortals! They'll be fine. Get out of there!"

Trunks ignored his father and went about his searching in a cursory manner. He lifted pieces of tile, paneling, and pillars. The dust hung in the air, clouding his view. "Belia?"

Suddenly she jumped out from behind a wall and raised her hands above her head one last time. Tiles and debris began to float upward and the tower started to shake. The large ball of light she held was growing to be larger than Hemofear's. The more light it gave off, the weaker the dark mass became.

"Stop! Damn you!" Hemofear cursed at Belia. She attempted to sick Frieza on her again, but Trunks prevailed against the fear that he had already overcome. "Let's talk about this Belia!" Hemofear began to plead, knowing that her end was near. Belia's hate had far exceeded her own.

"Shut up!" Belia yelled over the roar of her expanding ball of energy. "My revenge is finally at hand!"

Hemofear cringed. "I can make your revenge last forever! Don't you want to know?"

Belia looked upward with curiosity.***

"What are you doing boy?" Vegeta yelled angrily. His son was shielding the very being who wished to wipe him from existence.

"It's not her fault she couldn't be anything else. Hate only begets more hate father. You didn't change because Goku showed you apathy. You changed because he showed you compassion!"

Belia pushed her energy forward and the two powers fused upon collision.

"I warned you!" Vegeta shouted. "She's not like Kakorot!" He began to fly away quite furious with his son. Bulma twisted with objections in his grasp.

"Our son! No! Don't leave him!" Bulma cried.

"That explosion will kill you woman! We can't stay here any longer!" Vegeta held onto her tightly. Her tears stained his blue apparel. She shook in fear and because she was cold. Vegeta could feel her trembling as they flew, but hadn't anything to cover her half naked body with. If he held her any closer, she wouldn't be able to breathe.

Behind them flew the others. They too had shared Bulma's hesitation, but they knew they couldn't talk Trunks out of it. He was stubborn like his parents.

Suddenly, a massive explosion echoed across the land. Behind them the blinding light dimmed to reveal the plume of toxic cloud that expanded into the atmosphere.

"Oh Trunks…" Bulma wept with her trembling hand over her mouth. She could no longer feel his presence in her heart.

End of Season 1:

_Is this the end for the Prince's son?_

_Will Goku, Krillin, Oolong, and Master Roshi ever return?_

_What has become of Belia, Hemofear, and Matto?_

_Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of Dragonball AP! _

_Please leave reviews for Season 1!_

_Keep Reading!_


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